Jeju Air to face rigorous safety inspections over repeated landing gear issues: gov′t

Jeju Air to face rigorous safety inspections over repeated landing gear issues: gov't: General / 장동우 / 2024-12-30 11:15:22

plane crash-probe

▲ Joo Jong-wan, head of aviation policy at the transport ministry, holds a press briefing regarding the fatal Jeju Air plane crash at the Sejong government complex on Dec. 30, 2024. (Yonhap)

plane crash-probe

Jeju Air to face rigorous safety inspections over repeated landing gear issues: gov't

SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Yonhap) -- The government said Monday it plans to conduct rigorous safety inspections of low-cost carrier Jeju Air Co. following repeated landing gear issues, believed to have caused a company plane crash that claimed 179 lives the previous day.

The airline is under an investigation over the crash of flight 7C2216, which veered off the runway while belly-landing and collided with a fence at Muan International Airport in Muan County, about 290 kilometers southwest of Seoul.

Earlier in the day, a separate Jeju Air flight that took off from Gimpo International Airport made a return during mid-flight due to a landing gear issue that was found similarly in Sunday's crash. It was of the same Boeing B737-800 model involved in the accident.

"We plan to implement rigorous aviation safety inspections in response to the (landing gear) incidents," Joo Jong-wan, aviation policy chief at the transport ministry, said during a briefing at the Sejong government complex.

Joo noted that Jeju Air was known for its high aircraft utilization rate, which some observers have pointed to as a possible factor in Sunday's crash.

Following the landing gear issue reported on Monday, the ministry dispatched safety inspectors to the company to investigate the latest case.

Meanwhile, one of the two flight recording devices recovered from the crash site has been found with external damage, according to Joo. It has been transported to Gimpo International Airport for further analysis.

The ministry official also said the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board will participate in the investigation into the crash. Boeing and engine manufacturer CFM International have also been approached for cooperation.

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