South Korea probes deadly Jeju Air crash after bird strike

According to Reuters, South Korea will release a preliminary report on the Jeju Air plane crash, in which 179 people lost their lives, by Monday. It was the deadliest accident in the history of South Korean aviation. According to a statement from the South Korean Ministry of Transport, one of the topics under investigation is the impact of the collision with birds on the disaster.

Quoted by Reuters, the ministry indicated that the report will be sent to the International Civil Aviation Organization, as well as to the United States, France, and Thailand. Seoul is cooperating with investigators from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and the French Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile.

At the same time, South Korea points out that the analysis and verification of flight data will take several months. The analysis of cockpit voice recordings, which stopped four minutes and seven seconds before the crash, as well as communication with the control tower, may also take months.

At 8:58:11 AM, the pilots talked about birds flying under the Boeing 737-800 and then issued a mayday signal at 8:58:56 AM, reporting a bird strike. Footage from airport cameras also showed that the aircraft had "contact" with birds during a go-around.

The plane crashed on December 29, 2024, at 9:02:57 AM. The aircraft hit a concrete embankment and caught fire. The crash killed all 179 people onboard, including all passengers and crew members. Two flight attendants, who were in the tail section at the time of the incident, survived the crash.

Surveillance footage confirmed that the aircraft had contact with birds, although the exact time is not clear, a ministry official told Reuters. According to the ministry, bird feathers and blood were found in both GE Aerospace engines of the plane.