Jeju Air Crash Investigation Reveals Pilots Shut Off Wrong Engine Following Bird Strike

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Jeju Air Crash Investigation Reveals Pilots Shut Off Wrong Engine Following Bird Strike

4 months ago

News sources:

REUTERS

SCMP

DAWN

CHANNELNEWSASIA

INDIATIMES

Jeju Air Crash Investigation Reveals Pilots Shut Off Wrong Engine Following Bird Strike

Credited from: INDIATIMES

Jeju Air pilots reportedly shut off the less damaged left engine after a bird strike.
The December crash at Muan Airport killed all but two of the 181 passengers.
Aviation experts and victims' families question the investigation focus on pilot error.

The South Korea-led investigation into the Jeju Air plane crash in December has revealed "clear evidence" that the pilots shut off the less-damaged left engine instead of the right engine after a bird strike, just before landing. This information has been corroborated by cockpit voice recordings, computer data, and a physical engine switch recovered from the wreckage, according to a source familiar with the probe. The investigation team maintains that its findings will remain unchanged despite the absence of an official report to date, as stated by sources close to the investigation, including Reuters, South China Morning Post, and Dawn.

The crash occurred on December 29, 2023, when the Boeing 737-800 jet, operating a flight from Bangkok, failed to land properly at Muan Airport, resulting in the deadliest air disaster on South Korean soil, claiming 179 lives out of 181 individuals onboard. An examination of the engines found no pre-existing defects before the bird strike, confirming the severity of the impact on the right engine, which was more critically damaged, according to information shared during a briefing to victims’ families reported by Channel News Asia and India Times.

Reuters, South China Morning Post, and Dawn.

The final report from the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) is expected within a year, adhering to international aviation regulations. The preliminary report in January revealed the presence of duck remains in both engines but did not comment on the extent of damage, which continues to leave many aspects of the tragedy unexplored, as noted by Channel News Asia and India Times.