Muan: The ill-fated Jeju Air plane involved in last month's tragic crash received a crucial warning from air traffic control regarding bird activity just one minute before its black box recording ceased, the transport ministry revealed on Saturday. The crash, which occurred in South Korea's southwestern city of Muan, resulted in the deaths of 179 individuals and left two survivors.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the ministry shared preliminary findings with the victims' families following an investigation into the fatal incident involving the low-cost carrier flight from Bangkok. The government intends to release a preliminary report by Monday, which will be forwarded to the International Civil Aviation Organization, as well as authorities in the United States, France, and Thailand.
The investigation committee under the ministry reported that surveillance footage from the time of the crash at Muan International Airport indicated that the aircraft attempted a go-around maneuver when it collided with a flock of birds. Initial communication between the plane and air traffic control occurred at 8:54:43 a.m. as the aircraft approached for landing. The control tower granted clearance for landing on Runway 01, opposite the direction of the incident.
At 8:57:50 a.m., the control tower issued a bird strike warning to the aircraft. By 8:58:11 a.m., the pilot and first officer noted a flock of birds below the aircraft. The black box recording ceased at 8:58:50 a.m., suggesting a power loss due to engine shutdown following the bird strikes. Evidence of feathers and blood, likely from winter migratory ducks, was found on both engines.
The pilot is believed to have declared a "mayday" distress call at 8:58:56 a.m., although this is an estimate based on control tower records, as the black box did not capture the call. The plane continued for about four minutes before crashing without deployed landing gear, striking a concrete localizer mound and erupting in flames at 9:02:57 a.m.
The ministry indicated that several months will be required to analyze the flight data and cockpit voice recordings for further verification. In the meantime, the group representing the victims' families has decided to conclude the search for remains at the crash site. The remains discovered have been sent to the national forensics institute for identification.