A devastating plane crash in South Korea claimed the lives of 179 people after a bird strike led to engine failure, causing the aircraft's black box to stop recording moments before the accident. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport revealed on Saturday that the plane's flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) ceased recording just one minute after the control tower warned of a possible bird strike.
The ill-fated passenger jet was approaching Muan International Airport, located approximately 290 kilometers southwest of Seoul, on December 29 last year when tragedy struck. During a go-around maneuver, one of the pilots declared a Mayday to the control tower after both engines reportedly collided with birds, leading to a sudden loss of power supply.
The Ministry's aviation railway accident investigation committee met with the bereaved families to share preliminary findings from the FDR and CVR analysis. It was disclosed that the simultaneous stoppage of both recorders indicated a power cut-off, likely resulting from the double engine failure due to the bird strike.
Airport closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage confirmed that the aircraft struck a flock of birds moments before the crash. Investigators found feathers and bloodstains from one of the country's most common winter birds in both engines, reinforcing the bird strike theory.
The passenger jet attempted an emergency landing but descended without its landing gear deployed, skidding off the runway and colliding with a concrete mound equipped with a localizer—a crucial part of the instrument landing system providing runway centerline guidance.
Out of the 181 people on board, only two survived the crash. The overwhelming loss of life has sent shockwaves through South Korea and the global aviation community, prompting discussions on enhancing measures to prevent bird strikes and improve aviation safety protocols.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing as authorities work to piece together the events leading up to the disaster. Aviation experts emphasize the need for improved wildlife management around airports and advanced detection systems to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
