MUAN, South Korea — Families of the victims of South Korea’s worst aviation disaster are urging authorities to expedite the identification of remains, as investigators work to determine the cause of the Jeju Air crash that claimed 179 lives at Muan International Airport.
Investigators are examining multiple factors, including the possibility of bird strikes and adverse weather conditions, fire officials said. Experts have also raised questions about the plane’s speed and the apparent failure of its landing gear to deploy before the aircraft skidded off the runway and collided with a concrete wall.
The National Forensic Service continued to comb through the wreckage on Monday, searching for traces of human remains, officials told family members during a briefing at the airport.
South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, has ordered an emergency safety review of the country’s entire airline operation system following the tragedy.
Devastating crash
All 175 passengers and four of the six crew members aboard the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 were killed when the plane belly-landed and erupted into flames upon impact. Two crew members were rescued alive but remain hospitalized.
The aircraft, powered by two CFM 56-7B26 engines, was attempting to land at Muan International Airport in foggy conditions when it overshot the runway and slammed into a wall, fire officials said.
As families wait for answers, authorities are racing against time to uncover what went wrong in one of South Korea’s most catastrophic air travel incidents.
