Bird feathers found in engines of crashed Jeju Air jet

Investigators have stated that they have found evidence of bird strikes on the airliner that crashed in South Korea last December, an accident that resulted in the deaths of 179 people. According to a preliminary investigation report released on Monday, feathers and blood found on the two engines of the Jeju Air passenger plane came from migratory ducks – Baikal teals, which typically fly in flocks.

The investigation into this, the worst air disaster in South Korea, will now focus on the bird strike incident and the role of the concrete structure at the end of the runway, which the aircraft collided with. The report indicated that the engines of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft will be dismantled, and the concrete structure will also undergo further inspection.

The Jeju Air plane took off from Bangkok on the morning of December 29th, with its destination being Muan International Airport in southwestern South Korea. At approximately 08:57 local time, three minutes after the pilots contacted the airport, the control tower alerted the crew to "bird activity." At 08:59, the pilots reported that the plane had struck birds and issued a distress signal.

Subsequently, the pilots requested permission to land from the opposite direction, during which the plane made a belly landing without its landing gear deployed. The report states that the aircraft overran the runway and exploded after colliding with the concrete structure. Previously, authorities stated that the aircraft's flight data and cockpit voice recorders stopped recording about four minutes before the disaster.

Experts who have flown the same type of aircraft have also raised questions about the presence of the concrete barrier at the end of the runway, with some suggesting that the number of casualties might have been reduced without these obstacles. The concrete structure houses a navigation system called a localizer, which assists aircraft in landing. The South Korean Ministry of Transport stated that this system can also be found at other airports in South Korea and even overseas.

Last week, authorities announced that they would replace the concrete barriers used for navigation at seven airports nationwide. Following a review, adjustments will also be made to the runway safety areas at these seven airports. The preliminary report has been submitted to the United Nations aviation agency and authorities in the United States, France, and Thailand.