Flight recorders from deadly South Korean crash stopped minutes before disaster Investigation ongoing

The flight recorders from the South Korean passenger jet that crashed last month, claiming the lives of over 170 people, ceased operation approximately four minutes before the aircraft belly-landed and exploded at Muan International Airport, investigators confirmed on January 11.

Officials investigating the nation's deadliest aviation accident in nearly three decades had hoped the black boxes—consisting of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and the flight data recorder (FDR)—would provide critical insights into why Jeju Air flight 7C 2216, traveling from Bangkok, crash-landed and erupted into flames on December 29. The disaster claimed the lives of 179 individuals, with only two survivors, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The South Korean transport ministry stated that both the CVR and FDR stopped recording data shortly before the crash, but the reasons for the sudden cessation of function remain unclear. Authorities assured the public that efforts would continue to determine the cause of the failure.

"While the data from the CVR and FDR is essential for accident investigations, the investigation itself is based on a comprehensive analysis of various evidence," the ministry stated. "We will make every effort to precisely determine the cause of the crash."

The CVR was first analyzed in South Korea before being sent to the United States for further examination. Meanwhile, the FDR, which was damaged and missing a connector, was dispatched to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for analysis after local authorities were unable to extract data due to the damage.

The crash, which occurred in South Jeolla Province, is the deadliest aviation disaster in South Korea since 1997, when a Korean Air Lines Boeing 747 crashed in Guam, resulting in 228 fatalities. The cause of the Jeju Air crash is still under investigation, with authorities indicating that the process could take months.

Video footage of the incident revealed that neither the front nor the rear landing gear was visible at the time of the crash. Prior to the emergency landing, the pilot issued a mayday call, referencing a "bird strike" and a "go-around." The control tower had previously warned the pilot of birds in the vicinity. Another significant point of concern has been the concrete embankment the plane struck upon landing, as many airports do not place such structures in close proximity to runways, according to aviation experts.

As part of the investigation, South Korean police raided the offices of Jeju Air in Seoul and the operators of Muan International Airport last week.

By Vafa Guliyeva