Duck feathers lead to deadly crash: South Korea's early findings
A preliminary report from the South Korean transport ministry reveals that duck feathers were found in the engines of the Boeing 737-800, which crashed in December. The exact causes of the disaster may be identified in a few months.
The investigative commission at the transport ministry inspected Boeing's engines, where feathers and bird blood stains were discovered. Genetic tests showed that the birds belonged to the Baikal teal, a migratory duck from Siberia. "Pilots identified a flock of birds while approaching runway 01," the report stated.
Investigators did not determine the exact moment of impact because the flight data recorders stopped working a few minutes before the accident. The aircraft captain had flown over 6,800 hours, and the first officer 1,650 hours.
Further steps in the investigation
The report will be submitted to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and aviation institutions in the USA, France, and Thailand. ICAO requires a preliminary report within 30 days of the accident and recommends issuing a final report within 12 months.
The disaster occurred on 29 December at 00:03 GMT when the aircraft struck a concrete structure at the end of the runway. Out of 181 people on board, two were rescued.
