Investigators have found traces of bird strikes in the engines of the Jeju Air flight that crashed at Muan International Airport, South Korea, on December 29, killing all but two of the 181 passengers.
Last month, a Boeing 737-800 returning from Bangkok failed to deploy its landing gear, skidded off the runway, and hit a concrete structure housing localiser antennas. The plane burst into flames, killing all but two passengers, including two Thai nationals; the rest were South Koreans.
The preliminary report released on Monday by South Korea’s Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board confirmed the presence of feathers and bird blood stains in both engines. DNA analysis identified the remains as those of Baikal teals, a species of migratory duck.
Air traffic controllers reportedly warned the pilots about potential bird strikes two minutes before the aircraft issued a distress signal confirming a strike. The pilots had also observed a group of birds during their approach. Security footage captured the aircraft encountering birds during an aborted landing attempt.
The investigation found that the plane’s black boxes—flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder—stopped recording four minutes before the crash, making it harder to determine the exact cause. Authorities plan to examine the engines, black boxes, air traffic data, and the crash site for more details.
The concrete localiser the plane crashed into was criticised for being too heavy, as a breakable alternative could have reduced the impact. In response, South Korea’s Transport Ministry plans to remove the structure and keep Muan airport closed until mid-April.
The Transport Ministry has shared the preliminary findings with the International Civil Aviation Organization, as well as aviation authorities in the United States, Thailand, and France, given the plane’s American origin and French-made engines.
The report noted: “These all-out investigation activities aim to accurately determine the cause of the accident.”
