South Korea plane crash: Black boxes missing final four minutes of data

Tengrinews.kz - Black boxes of the Boeing 737-800 operated by Jeju Air, which crashed on December 29 at Muan Airport, lack recordings of the final minutes, citing Yonhap.

According to U.S. National Transportation Safety Board officials who examined the flight recorders, the data stopped approximately four minutes before the aircraft collided with a concrete barrier.

South Korean authorities noted that the absence of crucial recordings complicates the investigation into the cause of the crash. However, they added that the flight recorders are not the only sources of information available for the inquiry.

The incident occurred when the plane, en route from Bangkok to Muan, failed to land due to a landing gear system failure and collided with a concrete fence before exploding. Of the 181 people on board, 179 perished, with two crew members surviving.

Before the crash, the Boeing crew reported a bird strike and declared an emergency, opting to attempt landing on a second approach.

The tragedy marks South Korea’s deadliest aviation disaster since 1983, when a Korean Airlines plane was shot down near Sakhalin Island, killing 269 people. It is also the worst crash on South Korean soil in the country’s history.

Previously, The New York Times interviewed aviation experts, who explained that the crash of the Boeing 737-800 passenger plane in South Korea was caused by a "fatal coincidence of circumstances."

Soon after, Boeing Co. shares took a sharp dive following the tragic plane crash, according to the New York Stock Exchange.