ReutersThe Jeju Air passenger plane underwent a pre-flight inspection hours before it crashed in South Korea, killing 179 people, with “no problems,” the airline said.
“Nothing unusual was noted with the landing gear, as investigations are ongoing into why the wheels did not lower when it made the emergency landing,” airline CEO Kim Yi-bi told a news conference in Seoul. were
The plane was traveling from Bangkok when it crash-landed at Moan International Airport on Sunday, bursting into flames and killing all but two crew members on board. After sliding into the wall.
Investigators are still working to identify the victims and determine what caused South Korea’s deadliest air crash to date.
Many questions remain unanswered and investigators are looking into the role that climatic conditions may have played in bird strikes.
They are also focusing on why the landing gear of the Boeing 737-800 was not down when it hit the runway shortly after 09:00 local time (00:00 GMT) on Sunday.
Hundreds of grieving relatives have camped out at the airport in Moan, angry that they have yet to see the bodies of their loved ones.
So far, only a few remains of the victims have been released to their families. On Tuesday, four were shifted to funeral homes but most families are still waiting for their loved ones to be identified.
Addressing questions on the company’s safety procedures on Tuesday, Jeju Air CEO Kim Yi-bae said the plane would have been cleared for takeoff if the maintenance team had not signed off on its safety. It is not done.
He said its pilots were trained to regulatory standards, and the company had two full flight simulators.
“We have 12.9 maintenance workers per aircraft, up from 12 in 2019,” he said.
“We have a strict maintenance checklist, it’s impossible to lose things. If something is missed, it will be a serious problem.
“As far as whether the landing gear worked properly, that’s directly related to the accident investigation, and we’re not in a position to know that at this time.”
Mr. Kim said the airline would cut its air traffic by 10-15 percent this winter to do more maintenance work, but said that was not an admission that the company was operating too many planes. has been
He added that they will increase weather monitoring before and after flights.
Mr Kim also acknowledged that over the past five years, Jeju Air has paid the most fines and faced the most administrative action of any Korean airline – but said the company has maintained its safety record. Constantly improving.
He said he was committed to strengthening the company’s security and maintenance procedures, adding: “We want to restore your trust in us by strengthening our security measures.”
Mr. Kim said the airline was preparing emergency compensation for the victims’ families and covering funeral expenses.
Before the insurance process was completed, he said the money would be released soon. He added that company employees are on site to provide psychological counseling to the families.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the 179 passengers on Flight 7C2216 ranged in age from three to 78, although most were in their 40s, 50s and 60s. Authorities have said two Thai nationals are among the dead and the rest are believed to be South Koreans.
Many relatives are frustrated by how long it has taken to identify the victims’ bodies, but officials say it is difficult because those on board were so badly burned in the fire after the crash.
The BBC spoke to a man at the airport who said his nephew and his nephew’s two sons were on a celebratory trip to Thailand to mark the end of college entrance exams. All three died in flight.
“I can’t believe the whole family has just disappeared,” Meng Gi-su, 78, told the BBC. “My heart hurts so much.”
The runway at Moan International Airport will remain closed for another week while forensic teams collect remains and debris.
Investigators began examining the plane’s two black boxes — the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder — on Tuesday.
They say the second device is missing a key connector, which would make extracting data more difficult. That could prolong the search for answers as to why the plane was forced to land without its landing gear.
Officials also said they were examining regulations surrounding the concrete barrier the plane hit when it skidded off the end of the runway.
