Ongoing Investigation into Fatal Flight 2216 Crash in South Korea
Investigators are continuing their examination of the tragic Flight 2216 crash site in South Korea, which resulted in the deaths of 179 individuals on Sunday. South Korean police raided the offices of Jeju Air and the operator of Muan International Airport on Thursday as part of the investigation into this devastating incident.
The Boeing 737-800, operated by the low-cost airline Jeju Air, was carrying 181 people, primarily South Korean tourists returning from their vacation in Thailand, when it made an emergency landing that ended in disaster—slamming into a barrier at the end of the runway and bursting into flames. Only two flight attendants survived the horrific crash.
The investigators searched three locations: the airport where Flight 2216 crashed, the Jeju regional aviation office in Muan, and the company's office in Seoul. The police reported that the search and seizure operation took place from 9 AM to 1 AM CET on January 2nd.
Earlier this week, bereaved families and friends of the victims gathered at the crash site to pay their respects on New Year's Day. Flight data from one of the black boxes retrieved from the wreckage showed that the aircraft attempted to land without its landing gear extended and appeared to be experiencing an engine problem, in addition to the landing gear malfunction.
Investigators revealed that the pilot had received a warning from air traffic controllers about potential bird strikes and that the plane issued a distress signal prior to the tragedy. The South Korean Transport Ministry announced on Wednesday that they had successfully extracted data from the cockpit voice recorder, which is one of the two black boxes recovered. Additionally, a damaged flight data recorder will be sent to the United States for further analysis.
The Transport Ministry has also confirmed the identification of all 179 victims, with 11 bodies already handed over to grieving relatives. Authorities have been examining whether the localiser—a set of antennas designed to assist in guiding aircraft during landings—was constructed with materials that would have better absorbed the impact.
In the wake of this calamity, the nation is observing seven days of national mourning as the investigation continues to determine the factors that led to this tragic accident.
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