After a deadly South Korean plane crash, the airport’s runway design has come under criticism

Air safety experts on Tuesday questioned the location of the airport bridge that a South Korean airliner collided with after it skidded past the end of the runway, causing the plane to crash into the country. The most dangerous local weather disasters.

All 175 passengers and four of the six crew members were killed Sunday when Jeju Air flight 089590.KS landed at Muan International Airport, hit the sand and concrete embankment and turned into a ball of flame. Two crew members were recovered alive.

The reason for the pilot’s attempt to land after declaring a state of emergency is still under investigation.

But comments in the airport’s operating manual, uploaded in early 2024, said the embankment was too close to the end of the runway and recommended the location of the equipment be reviewed during the planned expansion.

A Transport Ministry official said on Tuesday that authorities would need to examine the document before answering questions.

Experts criticized the location of the dam, which carried navigational equipment.

“Unfortunately, this thing was the one that killed everyone, because they literally crashed into a concrete structure,” Captain Ross Aimer, CEO of Aero Consulting Experts, told Reuters.

“It shouldn’t be there.”

Police are still working to identify the victims

Meanwhile, police worked to identify the victims as impatience grew among families gathered at the airport waiting for the bodies of their loved ones to be delivered.

The National Police Agency said it is making every effort to speed up the identification of the five still unidentified bodies, and has allocated more personnel and rapid DNA analysis equipment.

Acting South Korean President Choe Sang-mok on Monday Order an emergency safety inspection The entire flight operation in the country as investigators sought to find out the cause of the deadliest air disaster on South Korean soil.

The country’s Ministry of Transport said that the black box recovered from the crash site was missing key parts and that authorities were reviewing how to extract its data.

The ministry said inspections of all 101 B737-800 aircraft operated by South Korean Air are scheduled to be completed by January 3, while the airport will remain closed until January 7.

Representatives from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration and aircraft manufacturer Boeing have joined the investigation and plan to meet in Moan on Tuesday.

The NTSB said in a statement that it had sent three investigators to South Korea to assist in the investigation, including people who specialize in operational factors and airworthiness.

“If we need more specialists we will send them,” Jennifer Homendy, head of the NTSB, said in an interview.

Questions about dams and bird strikes

Fire and transportation officials said investigators are examining bird strikes, whether any of the plane’s control systems malfunctioned, and the pilots’ apparent rush to attempt a landing shortly after the emergency was declared as possible factors in the crash.

Officials also faced pointed questions about design features at the airport, particularly the large embankment of dirt and concrete near the end of the runway used to support navigation equipment.

The plane hit the dam at high speed and turned into a fireball. Bodies and body parts were thrown into the surrounding fields and most of the planes were destroyed by fire.

South Korean officials say the dam was built to standards, and that similar features exist at other airports including the United States and Europe.

But several experts said its proximity to the end of the runway defied best practices and likely made the accident far more deadly than it would have been.

John Cox, CEO of aviation consulting firm Safety Operating Systems and a former 737 pilot, said the runway design “absolutely” does not meet industry best practices, which prohibit any solid structure such as a berm at least 300 meters from the end of the runway.

The airport’s concrete berm appears to be less than half that distance from the end of the pier, according to a Reuters analysis of satellite images.

South Korean officials said the dam is located about 250 meters from the end of the runway itself, although a paved apron extends beyond.

In video footage of the crash, the plane appeared to slow down and take control of the runway as it ran off the runway, Cox said.

“When that sandbar hits, it turns into a tragedy.”

New Year celebrations have been canceled across the country

Both floors of Mu’an Airport’s main terminal were still crowded with relatives of the victims on Tuesday evening, with many waiting for an altar to open to pay their respects to the deceased. Others rested in hundreds of tents set up at the airport. Religious, social welfare and volunteer groups were busy providing food and drink.

Relatives took turns bowing before the makeshift altar lined with chrysanthemums and pictures of the deceased, some sobbing loudly after paying their respects.

As the nation mourned the flight disaster, New Year’s Eve celebrations were canceled across the country.

Broadcasters KBS, MBS and SBS have canceled their annual awards ceremonies or countdown festivals. The Seoul city government announced that the annual bell-ringing parade scheduled for Tuesday will be quiet, with no performances but a minute of silence.