"Joint Investigation Begins with 8 US Investigators... Black Box Analysis to Start Soon"

Ministry of Land Central Accident Response Headquarters Briefing
"Joint On-Site Inspection with US Investigation Team"

One of Two Black Box Connectors Missing
Analysis to Begin with Intact Unit First

Firefighters are searching for fuel items at the site of the Jeju Air passenger plane collision and explosion accident that occurred on the 30th at Muan International Airport, Jeonnam. Photo by Kang Jin-hyeong

On the 31st, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that eight American experts participating in the investigation of the Jeju Air accident arrived in Korea the day before and have begun a joint accident investigation.

Joo Jong-wan, Director of the Aviation Policy Office, stated at a briefing held at the government Sejong Government Complex press room that morning, "The eight members of the U.S. joint investigation team consist of one member from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), three from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and four from the aircraft manufacturer Boeing," he said.

Regarding their individual backgrounds, including their areas of expertise, he said, "I believe experts in maintenance, airframe, and various fields have come, but disclosure of personal information will require confirmation of whether it is possible."

Starting today, 11 accident investigators from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board and the eight U.S. joint investigation members will begin on-site meetings at Muan Airport, followed by site inspections and discussions on the direction of the investigation.

Director Joo explained, "As of now, I understand that a joint investigation team meeting is taking place at Muan Airport," adding, "Officials from the Accident Investigation Board and the U.S. side are meeting together to mutually discuss the upcoming schedule, procedures, and which areas will be investigated, and they are jointly inspecting the site."

On the 29th, a Jeju Air passenger plane carrying 181 passengers collided with the outer wall of the runway while landing at Muan International Airport, causing a fire that resulted in the deaths of most passengers. The wreckage of the aircraft is placed on the runway at Muan International Airport, Jeollanam-do. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

The black box recovered from the passenger plane collision site was not visibly damaged on the outside, but its connecting connector was missing. In response to questions about the black box's condition, Director Joo said, "I heard that the black box exterior does not appear to be damaged for now," and explained, "We will first check if there is a method to extract data, and then proceed with verifying whether the contents inside are intact."

After the accident, the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board collected the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) from the site. The CVR was contaminated with mud and other pollutants. Director Joo stated, "The FDR was collected with the connector (cable) that connects the data storage unit and the power supply part missing."

The black box was moved on the 30th to the Accident Investigation Board's analysis room at Gimpo Airport, where it is being cleaned and prepared for decoding. Director Joo said, "Among the two types of black boxes, the CVR will be analyzed immediately once preparations are complete."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.