SEOUL: The South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced plans to send the flight data recorder from the Jeju Air crash to the United States for further analysis. This decision aims to uncover more details about the incident that resulted in the tragic loss of 179 lives at Muan International Airport.

According to Yonhap News Agency, discussions with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will determine the exact timeline for transferring the flight recorder. Despite sustaining external damage, the device has been recovered from the wreckage of the Jeju Air B737-800 aircraft. Meanwhile, authorities have successfully extracted data from the cockpit voice recorder, which was found in a relatively better condition, and are currently converting the data into voice files.

In an effort to bolster the investigation, two additional investigators from Boeing Co., the aircraft's manufacturer, have joined the on-site probe at Muan International Airport. This brings the total number of U.S. team members to 10, comprising six from Boeing and three from the NTSB. The expanded team aims to ensure a comprehensive examination of the accident.

The U.S. investigation team arrived in South Korea on Monday and began collaborating with the Korean team, led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the following day. Their initial joint investigation focused on the localizer, a navigation system at Muan International Airport that aids in aircraft landings. The localizer, mounted on a concrete structure, has been pinpointed as a factor that exacerbated the severity of casualties in the crash.

The Jeju Air B737-800 aircraft experienced a catastrophic belly landing at the airport, leading to an explosion upon impact with the structure, which resulted in the deaths of 179 out of the 181 passengers on board.