South Korean police raid Jeju Air after crash, CEO banned from overseas travel
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
South Korean police on Thursday raided Jeju Air offices and those of the Muan International Airport operator as investigation intensifies into the Flight 2216 crash that killed 179 people last Sunday.
Police said Jeju Air chief executive officer Kim E-bae is banned from leaving South Korea during the probe into the country’s worst aviation disaster.
The Boeing 737-800 aircraft that killed 179 people was carrying 181 passengers and crew from Thailand to South Korea when it issued a mayday call and belly-landed before slamming into a barrier, killing all aboard except two flight attendants.
Authorities on Thursday carried out search and seizure operations at Muan airport where flight 2216 crashed, a regional aviation office in the southwestern city, and Jeju Air’s office in the capital Seoul, police said.
Jeju Air and Muan airport operator raided
Investigators searched the offices of the airport operator and the transport ministry’s aviation authority in the southwestern county of Muan as the well as office of Jeju Air in Seoul, the South Jeolla provincial police said in a statement.
They planned to seize documents and materials related to the operation and maintenance of the aircraft as well as the operation of airport facilities, a police official told Reuters.
Jeju Air was cooperating with police, a director at the airline, Song Kyeong Hoon, said. The airport operator was yet to issue a comment.
“The investigation team imposed a travel ban on two individuals, including Jeju Air CEO Kim E Bae,” police said.
In the wake of the crash, aviation safety experts expressed concerns about the embankment the plane rammed into, questioning the design of the structure designed to support navigation equipment.
“This rigid structure proved catastrophic when the skidding aircraft made impact,” Najmedin Meshkati, engineering professor at the University of Southern California, said.
Such installations should use lighter materials such as metal towers to minimise damage during collisions, he said.
Investigators were also examining whether the embankment should have been constructed from lighter materials to reduce its potential danger.
The incident was also under investigation by the US National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration, and Boeing, in collaboration with South Korean authorities.
Preliminary analysis indicated the aircraft encountered multiple issues, including a bird strike and an engine problem, before the crash.
A video of the crash showed the aircraft belly-landing at speed and bursting into flames after hitting the concrete wall. The pilot had declared an emergency after warning of a bird strike but reportedly attempted a second landing without success.
Black boxes found in the wreckage were being analysed. The conversion of data from the cockpit voice recorder to audio files, which could provide critical information about the final minutes of the flight, was completed on Thursday, deputy transport minister for civil aviation Joo Jong Wan said.
Transport ministry officials said the audio files might not be publicly released due to the sensitivity of the investigation.
Acting president Choi Sang Mok, meanwhile, ordered immediate inspections of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft in South Korea. “Given the public concern, thorough reviews of operation, maintenance, and training procedures must be prioritised,” Mr Choi said during a disaster management meeting.
The tragedy sparked a week of national mourning. Save for two Thai citizens, the victims of the crash were all South Koreans, many of them returning home from holidays in Bangkok.
Bereaved relatives held a memorial service at the site of the crash on New Year’s Day, laying white flowers and offering traditional rice cake soup in tribute to their loved ones.
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