South Korean investigators have retrieved data from the first black box of the ill-fated Jeju Air flight that crashed on Sunday, the country’s transport ministry said on Monday.
The cockpit voice recorder data has been recovered and will be converted into an audio file for further analysis. Meanwhile, the second black box, the flight data recorder, which was damaged in the crash, will be sent to the United States for expert examination. According to investigators, decoding the flight data recorder locally is not possible because of damage and the absence of a key connector.
The authorities are optimistic that the data in both black boxes will help determine the critical moments leading to the tragedy, which claimed 179 lives. The crash occurred when the Boeing 737-800, flying from Bangkok, hit a concrete wall after trying to land at Muan International Airport and exploded in the process.
In cooperation with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, which has sent representatives to Muan County to investigate, South Korean officials are currently conducting their research into the incident. Flight data recorder analysis is ongoing and both South Korean and American experts have been involved in the study.
The cause of the crash is unknown, but other possible causes are: bird strike at the time of impact and severe weather conditions during the accident time. Another relevant investigation is focusing on the concrete wall at the end of the runway, considered by some specialists to have perhaps intensified the effects of the accident.
The ages of the victims on board flight 7C2216 varied from 3 to 78 years, while most passengers were between their 40s and 60s. Two of the deceased were Thai nationals, and the rest were believed to be South Korean nationals. The identification process was a painstaking one, with fingerprint and DNA analysis being carried out because of the severe damage caused by the crash. South Korean authorities confirmed on Wednesday that all 179 victims have been identified.
New Year’s Day celebrations around South Korea were cancelled or held low-key on Wednesday in deference to victims of the disaster. The government has declared seven days of national mourning.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Jeju Air CEO Kim Yi-bae expressed condolences to the families of the victims and announced that the airline would provide emergency compensation and cover funeral expenses. He also noted that the plane had passed a pre-flight inspection with no issues, but investigations into the crash’s cause are ongoing.
This is the worst plane crash in South Korean history, and the investigation into its causes will continue in the coming weeks.
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