December 30th 2024.
Officials from South Korea have announced that they will be conducting safety inspections on all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by the country's airlines. This comes after a tragic plane crash that claimed the lives of 179 people the day before. The crash, which is considered the worst aviation disaster in decades in South Korea, has sparked an outpouring of sympathy from the nation.
However, many are concerned about how the South Korean government will handle the disaster, as it is currently facing a leadership vacuum due to the recent impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. The country is already facing political turmoil caused by Yoon's brief imposition of martial law earlier this month. The new acting President, Choi Sang-mok, presided over a task force meeting yesterday and instructed authorities to urgently review the country's aircraft operation systems.
Choi emphasized the importance of a responsible response to prevent similar incidents in the future and to ensure the safety of the Republic of South Korea. As the deputy prime minister and finance minister, he also called for a renovation of the aviation safety systems as a whole. The Boeing 737-800 plane that crashed was operated by South Korean budget airline Jeju Air and had aborted its first landing attempt for unknown reasons. During its second landing attempt, the pilot received a bird strike warning from the ground control centre before issuing a distress signal. The plane ultimately crash-landed and burst into flames, causing devastating loss of life.
Aviation experts have weighed in on the incident, with former chief pilot at Delta Air Lines and current consultant, Alan Price, stating that the Boeing 737-800 is a proven and safe aircraft. However, the South Korean Transport Ministry has announced plans to conduct safety inspections on all 101 of the country's Boeing 737-800s, as well as a broader review into safety standards at Jeju Air, which operates 39 of these planes. The ministry has also requested assistance from the US National Transportation Safety Board and Boeing in their investigation.
One possible cause of the crash being considered is a malfunction in the plane's landing gear. The pilots did not deploy flaps or slats to slow the aircraft, which may indicate a hydraulic failure. They also did not manually lower the landing gear, possibly due to a lack of time. However, aviation experts have pointed out that the plane was under control and traveling in a straight line, and the damage and injuries may have been minimized if not for the concrete fence that the plane ultimately crashed into.
Authorities are also looking into whether the concrete fence at Muan airport, which houses a set of antennas to guide planes during landings, should have been made with lighter materials that would break more easily upon impact. Similar structures are found at other domestic airports in South Korea and around the world. The investigation is ongoing, and it is expected to take months to determine the exact cause of the crash.
Meanwhile, the country is in a state of mourning, with a seven-day national mourning period declared by the government. The crash has also brought up concerns about safety and regulatory issues in South Korea, including a 2022 Halloween crush and a 2014 ferry sinking that claimed many lives. The Transport Ministry has announced that 146 bodies have been identified, and they are working to collect DNA and fingerprint samples from the remaining 33.
The crash has been a devastating blow for the country, which is already facing a political crisis following the recent impeachment of top officials responsible for managing disasters. The absence of these officials has raised concerns about the ability of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters to handle the disaster effectively. The bereaved families have also expressed their frustration with the slow process of identifying and returning the bodies of their loved ones. As the investigation continues, the nation mourns the loss of so many lives and hopes for answers and measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
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