Controversial Reversal by Ministry of Land: "Reevaluating Whether Muan Airport's 'Concrete Mound' Complies with Regulations"

Said "No Problem" but Reversed to "Under Review" After Controversy
"If Both Engines Fail, Landing Gear Operation Could Be Affected"

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The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport stated on the 31st that it is "re-examining whether the concrete structure facility (localizer) identified as the cause of the increased scale of the aircraft disaster damage at Muan International Airport in Jeonnam complies with the ministry's guidelines," amid controversy. It also clarified that the localizer support was originally designed in the form of a concrete mound. The ministry had previously refuted claims that the localizer at Muan Airport exacerbated casualties by stating, "The localizer at Muan Airport was installed in accordance with relevant regulations."

As the main government agency overseeing aviation safety, the ministry held a briefing on the morning of the 31st at the Government Complex Sejong, chaired by Joo Jong-wan, Director General of the Aviation Policy Office. He said, "(The localizer) was originally designed with a mound-shaped concrete support," adding, "During subsequent improvement projects, a separated pile-type structure was reinforced by additionally installing a 30 cm thick concrete cap."

Regarding the reason for using concrete, he explained, "The support needed to be fixed firmly to prevent shaking from wind and rain during installation," and added, "Since it is outside the (longitudinal) safety zone, there were no material restrictions, so concrete supports were used."

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The ministry also mentioned that if both engines fail, there could be problems with the landing gear operation. Although the accident was triggered by a collision with a flock of birds, causing an abnormality in one engine, the fact that the other engine, braking system, and landing gear (wheels) also failed to operate properly in sequence remains an unresolved question in this disaster.

The ministry stated, "If both engines fail, there can be abnormalities in the hydraulic system, which may cause problems with landing gear operation," but added, "(However) there is a manual lever that can be used if everything fails."

Regarding the investigation of the two black boxes inside the fuselage, the ministry said that the Flight Data Recorder (FDR), which lost its connecting cable, "requires additional technical inspection." As for the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), it stated, "Data extraction is underway."

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