By Jack Kim
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean authorities investigating last month’s Jeju plane crash have submitted a preliminary accident report to the U.N. aviation agency and authorities in the United States, France and Thailand, an official said on Monday.
The investigation into the country’s deadliest air disaster on soil remains ongoing. The report, made available on Monday, focused on the role of the “bird strike” and the analysis of the engines and the “Lokaliser” guide structure.
“These comprehensive investigative activities are aimed at determining the exact cause of the accident,” it said.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN agency, requires accident investigators to submit a preliminary report within 30 days of the accident and encourages a final report to be published within 12 months.
The Boeing (NYSE đŸ™‚ 737-800 jet from Bangkok and scheduled to arrive at Muan International Airport overshot the runway when it made an emergency emergency response and crashed into the local structure, killing all but two of the 181 people and crew members on board December 29th.
The localiser provides navigation for a plane making an approach to the runway, and the reinforced concrete and earth structure at Muan airport that supports the system’s antennas was a likely cause of the disaster, experts said.
The report highlighted much of South Korean investigators’ initial findings, which were shared Saturday with the victims’ families, including the pilots discussing a flock of birds they spotted during their final approach.
The exact time of a bird strike reported by the pilots remains unconfirmed, they say
During a go-around. ”
“Both engines were examined and feathers and bird blood stains were found in each,” it said.
“After crashing into the dam, fire and a partial explosion occurred. Both engines were buried in the dam’s soil mound, and the front fuselage up to 30 to 200 meters from the embankment,” it said.
The report does not say what may have caused the two data recorders to simultaneously stop recording just before the pilots declared mayday. The aircraft was at an altitude of 152 meters (298 km/h or 185 miles per hour) when the black boxes lined up to record.
