Black Box Reveals New Details in South Korea’s Fatal Plane Crash
The mystery surrounding last month’s tragic plane crash at South Korea’s Muan International Airport deepened as officials revealed that the aircraft’s black box stopped recording just one minute after a warning about a potential bird strike.
On December 29, a passenger jet carrying 181 people crashed shortly after takeoff, resulting in 179 fatalities. Only two passengers survived the horrific accident that has left the nation in mourning.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s aviation railway accident investigation committee met with the victims’ families on Saturday to share the initial findings from the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR).
According to the data, the flight control tower alerted the pilots to a possible bird strike just one minute before both the FDR and CVR simultaneously stopped recording. Investigators believe that both engines collided with birds, causing a sudden power failure.
“One of the pilots declared a Mayday due to the bird strike during an attempted go-around,” an official stated. CCTV footage from the airport corroborates this, showing the plane hitting a flock of birds moments before the crash. Feathers and bloodstains from one of the country’s most common winter birds were found in both engines.
The ill-fated jet attempted to land without wheels, skidded off the runway, and collided with a concrete mound housing a localizer—a device that provides aircraft with runway centerline guidance—at the end of the runway.
The tragedy has sparked widespread grief and raised questions about aviation safety, particularly regarding bird strike prevention measures at airports. Authorities have pledged a thorough investigation to prevent such disasters in the future.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
