Duck feathers in Boeing 737 crash spark aviation probe
An initial report from the South Korean Ministry of Transport reveals that duck feathers were found in the Boeing 737-800 engines, which crashed in December. The exact causes of the disaster may not be known for a few months.
The Ministry of Transport's investigative committee inspected the Boeing engines, finding feathers and bird blood stains. Genetic tests showed that the birds belonged to the Baikal teal, a migratory duck species from Siberia. The report stated, "The pilots identified a flock of birds while approaching runway 01. "
Investigators have not determined the exact moment of collision because the flight data recorders stopped working a few minutes before the accident. The aircraft's captain had flown over 6,800 hours, and the first officer 1,650 hours.
further steps in the investigation
The report will be sent to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and aviation institutions in the USA, France, and Thailand. ICAO requires a preliminary report to be prepared within 30 days of the accident and recommends issuing a final report within 12 months.
The crash occurred on December 29 at 7:03 PM Eastern Time, when the airplane hit a concrete structure at the end of the runway. Of the 181 people on board, two were rescued.
