In brief
In a tragic plane crash that claimed 179 lives, investigators face an uphill battle due to the flight recorder stopping just four minutes before the disaster.
The news article text follows:The investigation into the Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 crash, which occurred on December 29 at Muan Airport, has hit a major snag with officials reporting that the flight recorder ceased to function four minutes prior to the disaster. The crash left only two survivors among the 181 passengers and crew on board. According to South Korean authorities, data retrieved from the black box, which includes both cockpit voice and flight data recorders, is typically vital for understanding the circumstances surrounding aviation accidents. With the last four minutes of data missing, the South Korea Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has stated that they are currently probing the device to ascertain the reasons behind the failure.Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 was returning from Bangkok and was in the process of landing at Muan International Airport when an emergency situation arose. The pilot radioed in distress, declaring “Mayday, mayday, mayday,” and reported a bird strike while indicating the need to abort the landing and circle for a second approach. However, the plane was unable to rectify its landing trajectory, ultimately coming in without landing gear deployed, resulting in a belly landing.Tragically, the aircraft could not slow down adequately and overshot the runway, colliding with a concrete structure before bursting into flames. With crucial data absent from the flight recorder, investigators will have to rely on other forms of analysis to piece together what led to this devastating incident.
