WNAM REPORT: South Korean authorities concluded search and recovery operations and an investigation into the Dec. 29 crash of a Jeju Air plane that killed 179 people.
The Korea JoongAng Daily said Sunday that the families of the victims agreed to end the investigation after authorities disclosed details about bird strikes linked to the crash.
Officials said feathers and bloodstains from Baikal teals, a migratory bird, were found in both engines of the plane.
“We are synchronizing and analyzing the black box and control communication records by time zone to examine the operating conditions of the plane, external influences, and any abnormalities in the aircraft or engines,” an official noted, adding that a further detailed analysis is required.
On Sunday, the association representing the victims’ families announced their decision to halt searches for body fragments or remains. The announcement followed a second meeting held at Muan International Airport, which will remain closed until April 18.
Unidentified remains and possessions of crash victims have been handed over to the National Forensic Service for identification.
Deadliest crash since 1997
The Jeju Air Boeing 737-800, carrying 181 passengers, including six crew members, crashed during landing in Muan County, 288 kilometers (179 miles) southwest of Seoul. The accident, reported at 9.07 a.m. local time (0007GMT), claimed 179 lives, with only two flight attendants surviving.
The plane caught fire after reportedly experiencing landing gear issues, skidding along the ground without its gear before crashing into a concrete wall and bursting into flames.
It marked South Korea’s deadliest aviation crash involving a domestic carrier since a Korean Air plane crashed in Guam in 1997, killing 225 people.
Reports revealed that all three landing gears had malfunctioned. The pilot informed the control tower of a bird strike before the crash. A transport ministry official later confirmed this.
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said recordings on the plane’s flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder stopped about four minutes before the aircraft hit a localizer structure.
