South Korea seeks answers from U.S. in Muan plane crash
South Korea is sending the black boxes of the Boeing 737-800 to the USA, where top specialists will investigate the cause of the crash in Muan, which resulted in the deaths of 179 out of the 181 people on board.
Deputy Minister of Civil Aviation Joo Jong-wan has announced cooperation with American investigators to probe the cause of Friday's tragedy. Following mysterious explosions on the right side of the aircraft's fuselage, the Boeing 737-800 pilot attempted to land.
As a result, the plane came to rest on the airport's surface without deploying its landing gear and collided with a surrounding wall. It disintegrated almost entirely, with only the aircraft's tail section remaining intact.
Causes of the South Korean plane crash: Experts from the USA to assist with the investigation
179 passengers and crew members were killed. Two crew members narrowly escaped death. At the time of impact, they were located in the rear part of the plane.
Deputy Minister of Civil Aviation Joo Jong-wan stated that the accident analysis will be conducted in partnership with American investigators. The black box has been sent from South Korea to the United States.
The head of the Muan Fire Department, Lee Jung-hyun, highlighted potential causes of the tragedy. Possible reasons include a bird strike and adverse weather conditions.
The South Korean Ministry of Transport confirmed that the control tower had warned the pilots of the Jeju Aeroplane about a possible hazard when flocks of birds were sighted near the airport.
Footage of the crash broadcast by YTN television showed the aircraft gliding at high speed down the runway, seemingly with its landing gear retracted, and colliding directly with a concrete wall at the runway's end. The 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 had been flying from Bangkok.
