Flight data recorder in South Korea crash missing key component

• Published On: 31 December 2024 at 19:51

Authorities have revealed that a critical component is missing from a device that could shed light on South Korea's deadliest plane crash, potentially delaying the investigation into the accident that killed 179 people.

The flight data recorder, one of the two "black boxes" recovered from the wreckage of the Jeju Air plane that exploded at Muan International Airport on Sunday morning, is missing a connector that connects the data storage unit to the power storage unit, according to Bloomberg.

"An expert is continuously looking for ways to restore the data inside the recorder," Deputy Minister for Civil Aviation Joo Jong-wan said at a briefing on December 31. The ministry will try to resolve the issue "as soon as possible," Joo said, but did not specify how long it would take.

Authorities have obtained another important piece of evidence: the cockpit voice recorder, which records radio transmissions, the pilot's voice, and engine noises.

Beginning December 31, a joint investigation group comprised of US aviation authorities and Boeing officials will examine both the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder of the 737-800.

Based on communications between the airport control tower and the pilot prior to the crash, investigators believe bird strikes played a role in the accident. The control tower issued a bird-strike warning just two minutes before the pilot declared a mayday, moments before the plane collided with a wall at the end of the runway and exploded.

Korean authorities interviewed two control tower officials who were on duty at the time of the crash, but they have not provided any additional information.

Investigators are also looking into why the landing gear failed as the plane approached the ground, as well as whether the localiser—an instrument used to guide planes during landing—played a role in the crash.