By Ju-min Park and Hongji Kim
MUAN COUNTY, South Korea (Reuters) -South Korea’s performing President Choi Sang-mok ordered an emergency security inspection on Monday of the nation’s total airline operation system as investigators labored to establish victims and discover out what triggered the deadliest air catastrophe within the nation.
All 175 passengers and 4 of the six crew had been killed when a Jeju Air Boeing (NYSE:) 737-800 belly-landed and skidded off the tip of the runway at Muan Worldwide Airport, erupting in a fireball because it slammed right into a wall. Two crew members had been pulled out alive.
The highest precedence for now could be figuring out the victims, supporting their households and treating the 2 survivors, Choi informed a catastrophe administration assembly in Seoul.
“Even before the final results are out, we ask that officials transparently disclose the accident investigation process and promptly inform the bereaved families,” he mentioned.
“As soon as the accident recovery is conducted, the transport ministry is requested to conduct an emergency safety inspection of the entire aircraft operation system to prevent recurrence of aircraft accidents,” he mentioned.
As a primary step, the transport ministry introduced plans to conduct a particular inspection of all 101 Boeing 737-800 plane operated by South Korean airliners starting on Monday, specializing in the upkeep report of key parts.
Jeju Air flight 7C2216, arriving from the Thai capital Bangkok, was attempting to land shortly after 9 a.m. (0000 GMT) on Sunday on the airport within the south of the nation.
Investigators are analyzing chicken strikes, whether or not any of the plane’s management programs had been disabled, and the obvious rush by the pilots to try a touchdown quickly after declaring an emergency as doable components within the crash, hearth and transportation officers have mentioned.
Consultants say many questions stay, together with why the airplane, powered by two CFM 56-7B26 engines, gave the impression to be travelling so quick and why its touchdown gear didn’t look like down when it skidded down the runway and right into a concrete embankment.
CFM Worldwide is a three way partnership between GE Aerospace and France’s Safran (EPA:).
On Monday, transport ministry officers mentioned because the pilots made a scheduled strategy they informed air site visitors management the plane had suffered a chicken strike, shortly after the management tower gave them a warning birds had been noticed within the neighborhood.
The pilots then issued a mayday warning and signalled their intention to desert the touchdown and to go round and check out once more. Shortly afterwards, the plane got here down on the runway in a stomach touchdown, touching down about 1,200 metres (1,312 yards) alongside the two,800 metres (3,062 yard) runway and sliding into the embankment on the finish of the runway.
‘YOU DON’T HAVE A WALL’
Officers are investigating what position the localiser antenna, situated on the finish of the runway to assist in touchdown, performed within the crash, together with the concrete embankment on which it was standing, transport ministry officers informed a media briefing.
“Normally, on an airport with a runway at the end, you don’t have a wall,” mentioned Christian Beckert, a flight security knowledgeable and Lufthansa pilot based mostly in Munich. “You more have maybe an engineered material arresting system, which lets the airplane sink into the ground a little bit and brakes (it).”
The crash killed principally native residents who had been getting back from holidays in Thailand, whereas two Thai nationals additionally died.
“I can only accept it, make peace with it,” mentioned Boonchuay Duangmanee, 77, the daddy of one of many Thai victims. “When I think about it, I remind myself that it was an accident. It’s something that can happen to anyone. So, I’ve come to terms with it because no matter what I do, my daughter won’t come back.”
On Monday morning, investigators had been attempting to establish among the greater than two dozen remaining victims, as anguished households waited contained in the Muan airport terminal.
Park Han-shin, who misplaced his brother within the crash, mentioned he was informed by authorities that his brother had been recognized however has not been in a position to see his physique.
Park known as on different victims’ households to unite in responding to the catastrophe and restoration efforts, citing a 2014 ferry sinking that killed greater than 300 individuals. Many kin of the victims of the Sewol ferry catastrophe complained it took authorities too lengthy to establish these killed and the reason for that accident.
Transportation ministry officers mentioned the jet’s flight information recorder was recovered however appeared to have sustained some injury on the skin and it was not but clear whether or not the info was sufficiently intact to be analysed.
The recorder has been transported to Seoul and an evaluation will start when a workforce of U.S. Nationwide Transportation Security Board (NTSB) and Boeing officers arrive within the nation late on Monday, the officers informed reporters.
Muan Worldwide Airport stays closed by means of Wednesday however the remainder of the nation’s worldwide and regional airports together with the principle Incheon Worldwide Airport had been working as scheduled.
Shares of Jeju Air hit their lowest stage on report on Monday, buying and selling as a lot as 15.7% decrease.
Beneath international aviation guidelines, South Korea will lead a civil investigation into the crash and routinely contain the NTSB because the airplane was designed and inbuilt america.
A big memorial has been arrange in a county health club about 9 km (5 miles) from the crash web site, the place individuals together with performing President Choi got here to pay respects.
Choi, who’s overseeing restoration efforts and the investigation, turned performing chief simply three days in the past after the nation’s president and prime minister had been impeached over the imposition of a short-lived martial legislation.
