(REUTERS): Authorities stepped up their investigation into the Jeju Air crash on Tuesday as they attempted to identify the deceased and answer inquiries from relatives of those who perished in the deadliest domestic aviation tragedy in South Korea. The accident at Muan International Airport has attracted attention from both domestic and foreign audiences.
To identify the five unidentified victims who are still at large, the National Police Agency has accelerated DNA analysis and mobilized more personnel. Rapid DNA testing is being used by authorities to expedite the procedure and provide bereaved families closure.
At a gathering at Muan International Airport, the victims' families have called on authorities to identify them more quickly and to be more transparent. Investigators are under more pressure to provide prompt answers as a result of the emotional toll.
Four of the six crew members and 175 passengers on board the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 perished in the incident. The jet hit a wall, belly-landed, slid off the runway, and burst into flames. The accident claimed the lives of two crew members.
An urgent safety inspection of all South Korean airlines has been mandated by Acting President Choi Sang-mok. Finding the reason for this devastating disaster and guaranteeing future safety are the Transportation Ministry's current priorities.
The absence of a vital connector from a recovered flight recorder, also known as a "Black Box," makes data extraction more difficult. Investigators are trying to overcome this obstacle to identify the sequence of events that led to the crash.
The Transportation Ministry of South Korea has planned to check all 101 B737-800s that are flown by domestic airlines. While Muan International Airport will be closed until January 7, these checks are expected to be finished by January 3.
Representatives from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration, and Boeing are now part of the investigation. Three operational factors and airworthiness specialists have been dispatched by the NTSB to assist with the inquiry.
The NTSB's head, Jennifer Homendy, stated that additional specialists will be sent out if necessary. The collaboration exemplifies how the crash's horrific scope and implications for aviation safety have garnered international attention.
Investigators are looking at a number of potential causes, such as bird strikes, broken aircraft control systems, and the pilots' decision to land the plane as soon as they declared an emergency. Reconstructing the circumstances leading up to the collision is the aim of these viewpoints.
A sizable dirt-and-concrete embankment close to the runway's end has attracted a lot of attention. The severity of the collision was significantly influenced by this structure, which was intended to support navigational equipment.
A fireball and extensive disintegration resulted from the plane's high-speed impact with the embankment. The impact of the accident was exacerbated by the bodies and debris that were dumped onto neighboring fields.
Aero Consulting Experts CEO Captain Ross "Rusty" Aimer blasted the embankment's location, claiming it was the main reason for deaths. According to him, such a building "shouldn't have been there."
Citing International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) norms, South Korean officials have defended the airport's design. Domestic laws, however, permit certain installations within limits that could compromise safety performance.
Officials from the Transport Ministry promised to reevaluate airport safety standards and look into any possible regulatory disputes. Senior official Kim Hong-rak agreed that further assessment was necessary in the wake of the incident.
The runway design, according to former 737 pilot and Safety Operating Systems CEO John Cox, did not adhere to industry best practices. Hard structures should not be located within 300 meters of the end of a runway, he said.
The embankment is located less than half the recommended distance from the runway, according to Reuters' analysis of satellite imagery. Authorities in South Korea have verified that it is roughly 250 meters away from the runway's finish.
According to Cox, the video evidence indicates that the aircraft was in control and decelerating prior to impacting the embankment. "The impact turned a manageable situation into a devastating tragedy," he said.
