Jeju Air pre-flight checks found ‘no issues’ on plane that crashed in South Korea hours later, killing 179
31 December 2024, 14:51
A pre-flight check of the Jeju Air passenger plane which crashed hours later and killed 179 people in South Korea, found "no issues", the airline's boss has said.
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It is understood that the plane’s landing gear failed to engage as the flight departed Seoul's Gimpo International Airport for Jeju island.
Kim Yi-bae, Jeju Air’s CEO, has insisted that "nothing abnormal was noted with the landing gear" during the pre-flight inspection.
He said the plane would not have been cleared for takeoff if the maintenance team had not signed off on its safety as he faced questioning on Tuesday.
Sunday's plane crash saw the Boeing 737-800 aircraft forced to land on its undercarriage as it came into land at Muan International Airport, 190 miles south of the capital Seoul.
It followed an in-flight technical issue, with the plane eventually colliding with a concrete wall before bursting into flames with 181 people aboard. Just two people, who were members of the crew, survived.
Read more: The King and Prime Minister pay condolences to 179 victims of South Korea plane crash
Investigators are focusing on why the plane failed to deploy its landing gear as it hit the runway just after 09:00 local time (00:00 GMT) on Sunday.
A series of other unanswered questions remain as investigators also look into a potential bird strike and the role weather conditions may have played.
South Korea's leader has launched a full review of the country's airline industry following the disaster.
New acting President Choi Sang-mok on Monday presided over a task force meeting on the crash and instructed the Transport Ministry and police to launch investigations into its cause.
He also ordered the ministry to implement an emergency review of the country's overall aircraft operation systems.
The Transport Ministry said authorities are looking at maintenance and operation records during five days of safety checks that are to run until Friday.
"The essence of a responsible response would be renovating the aviation safety systems on the whole to prevent recurrences of similar incidents and building a safer Republic of South Korea," said Mr Choi, who is also deputy prime minister and finance minister.
The country's national fire agency said 85 women, 84 men and 10 others whose genders were not immediately identifiable died in the fire at the airport in the town of Muan, about 180 miles south of Seoul.
