Flight Recorder Failure Adds to Mystery of Jeju Air Crash
The investigation into the Jeju Air jet that crashed last month, killing 179 people, has hit a major setback after officials revealed that the flight recorder stopped recording data during the final four minutes of the flight.
The Boeing 737-800’s black box, which is a crucial source of information in aviation accidents, failed to capture the critical last four minutes of the flight, according to the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
The failure to record data raises serious concerns and adds to the mystery surrounding the crash, which is South Korea’s worst aviation disaster and the world’s worst since Lion Air Flight 610 in 2018.
According to officials, the plane, which was taking off from Bangkok and heading to Muan International Airport in South Korea, issued a Mayday emergency call around 8:59 a.m. on December 29 after reporting a bird strike. However, the exact events that transpired in those final four minutes remain unclear.
The missing data is particularly important because it may have revealed why the pilot abandoned the initial landing attempt and was unable to gain control of the plane before crashing.
Hwang Ho-won, president of the Korea Aviation Safety Association, emphasized the importance of black box data in aviation investigations. “Black box data is crucial in investigations,” he said. “If investigators don’t have it, it creates serious problems for them.”
However, it appears that the failure to record the final four minutes of the flight may be the result of reasons yet to be determined. “We plan to investigate why the data was not recorded,” the ministry said in a news release.
In the meantime, investigators are relying on other sources of information, such as radar and control tower officials’ accounts of the flight’s final moments. They are also exploring various possibilities, including the possibility that the plane lost one or both engines in its final minutes.
Most of the victims were South Koreans returning from a Christmas holiday in Thailand, while the two survivors were crewmembers injured in the rear of the plane.
As the investigation continues, the Jeju Air crash has sparked a nationwide outpouring of grief and has dominated the news in South Korea. The country is also grappling with a political crisis triggered by President Yoon Seok-yeol’s brief imposition of martial law and congressional impeachment.
**FAQs:**
Q: What happened in the final four minutes of the flight?
A: The exact events that transpired in the final four minutes of the flight remain unclear, as the black box failed to record data during that period.
Q: Why did the pilot issue a Mayday emergency call?
A: The pilot reportedly issued a Mayday emergency call after a bird strike, stating “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday” and then “bird strike, bird strike”.
Q: What is the significance of black box data in aviation investigations?
A: Black box data is crucial in aviation investigations, providing valuable information on the flight’s final moments. Without it, investigators face significant challenges in determining the cause of the crash.
Q: Will investigators be able to reconstruct conversations in the cockpit?
A: Investigators may be able to reconstruct some of the conversations in the cockpit based on interviews with control tower officials and other sources.
**Conclusion:**
The failure of the black box to record data during the final four minutes of the flight has added a new layer of complexity to the investigation into the Jeju Air crash. The incident has shaken the aviation world and has raised important questions about the reliability of critical safety equipment. As the investigation continues, investigators will need to rely on alternative sources of information to piece together the events surrounding the crash.
