Following the Jeju Air crash that claimed 179 lives, South Korean authorities said on Wednesday that they would replace the concrete navigation barriers at other airports throughout the nation.
On December 29, the Boeing 737-800 carrying 181 passengers and crew members belly-landed at Muan airport and exploded in a blaze after colliding with a concrete barrier while en route from Thailand to Muan in the southwest.
It was the deadliest aircraft accident to ever occur in South Korea.
The cause of the air crash, which sparked nationwide sadness and memorials erected nationwide, is still being investigated by South Korean and US officials.
Although a number of potential reasons have been discussed, it has been questioned why the concrete barricade—known as a localizer and used to guide planes during landings—was located at the end of the runway.
“A special safety inspection revealed that improvements are needed for localizers at seven airports around the country,” the Ministry of Land said in a statement.
These include the nation’s second-largest airport, after Incheon, which serves the capital Seoul, and Muan and Jeju International Airport, a well-liked tourism destination.
“Relocating the foundations underground and replacing them with lightweight steel structures” is one of the measures.
The localizer at Muan International Airport will be “reinstalled using breakable structures” after the current concrete mounds are completely removed.
Transport Minister Park Sang-woo stated, “This measure prioritizes actions requiring immediate attention.”
“Through additional research and evaluations, we intend to develop strategies for improving bird strike prevention and an aviation safety innovation plan,” he stated.
The pilot pulled out of a first landing attempt at the moment of the disaster after warning of a bird strike. When the landing gear failed to come out on the second try, the plane crashed.
According to South Korean media sources, feathers were discovered in both engines, and one potential explanation is a bird hit.
The government claims that as part of the “bird strike prevention improvement plan,” a thorough examination of the amenities that draw birds to airports got underway on Monday.
The investigation was further complicated when the transport ministry claimed that four minutes prior to the crasht, the black boxes containing the flight data and cockpit voice recorders for the wrecked airplane ceased recording.
The land ministry said on Saturday that the three-month closure period at Muan Airport has been extended to April 18.
– Deeprows News
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