Investigators from South Korea have revealed that the Jeju Air aircraft that crashed in December during an emergency landing after a bird strike may have been capable of staying airborne despite one engine being damaged while the pilots shut down the other.
Rather than maintaining flight, the Boeing 737-800 made a landing attempt at Muan International Airport without deploying the landing gear, overshooting the runway and ultimately exploding upon colliding with a bridge. This tragic incident resulted in the deaths of all passengers on board, totaling 181, with only two survivors.
Although the investigators have not yet released a conclusive report on what has become the deadliest aviation disaster in South Korea, preliminary information regarding the aircraft’s engines has started to surface.
A July 19 update, reviewed by Reuters and not yet publicly released due to complaints from victim families, indicated that the left engine sustained less damage than the right one after the initial bird strike. However, the left engine ceased functioning 19 seconds after the collision.
The five-page update, accompanied by images of both engines following the incident, noted that the right engine experienced “significant acceleration” with flames and black smoke emanating from it, yet investigators confirmed it was generating enough power for flight.
The update did not provide any reasoning behind the crew’s actions, and it is anticipated that the investigation will extend for several months as investigators reconstruct the aircraft’s technical condition and the pilots’ understanding of the situation.
Experts assert that most aviation accidents result from multiple factors and warn against placing excessive emphasis on incomplete evidence.