SEOUL: The South Korean government announced plans to send the flight data recorder from the Jeju Air crash to the United States for detailed analysis. The decision comes as part of ongoing efforts to investigate the tragic accident that resulted in the loss of 179 lives.
According to Qatar News Agency, officials from the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport have outlined that the timeline for the transfer of the flight recorder will be established in cooperation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The flight recorder, which was retrieved from the wreckage at Muan International Airport, suffered some external damage, including the loss of a connector necessary for linking its data storage unit to the power supply.
Despite the damage, authorities have successfully extracted data from the cockpit voice recorder, which was found in a more preserved condition. The ministry has already commenced converting this data into voice files, providing crucial insights into the moments leading up to the crash.
The Jeju Air B737-800 aircraft met a catastrophic end as it belly-landed and subsequently exploded upon collision with the airport’s structure. The incident left only two survivors out of the 181 passengers on board, marking one of the deadliest aviation disasters in South Korea’s recent history. The ongoing investigation aims to uncover the factors leading to the crash, ensuring enhanced safety measures for future flights.