Jeju Air plane crash raises questions about concrete wall at the end of the runway

Jeju Air plane crash raises questions about concrete wall at the end of the runway


The wreckage of the Jeju Air aircraft that went off the runway and crashed lies at Muan International Airport, in Muan, South Korea, December 30, 2024. 

Kim Hong-ji | Reuters

Aviation experts are questioning the role of an airport design that positioned a mound of dirt and a concrete wall past the end of a runway, which Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 slammed into Sunday morning, killing all but two of the 181 people on board.

The plane, a Boeing 737-800, belly-landed on the runway after an overnight flight, apparently with flaps and landing gear retracted. The jetliner burst into flames after hitting the dirt and wall, where a localizer, which guides planes onto the runway, had been installed.

“Certainly that made it difficult to stop the aircraft safely,” said Todd Curtis, founder of Air Safe Media, which tracks aviation accidents and other incidents. Curtis worked at Boeing for nearly a decade as a safety engineer.

It will take crash investigators months if not longer to uncover the cause of the crash, the worst-ever air disaster in South Korea and the deadliest crash in years. They will examine everything from aircraft maintenance records to pilot scheduling to cockpit voice recorders.

Family members of the victims of the Jeju Air crash react as officials hold a briefing at Muan International Airport, in Muan, South Korea, December 30, 2024. 

Kim Soo-hyeon | Reuters

Initial evidence suggests a bird strike could have played a key role in possible engine loss. Experts cautioned the investigation is in the very early stages.

Some aviation experts say the fatalities could have been minimized had the plane not collided with the concrete wall.

In video of the Jeju Air flight’s landing, “you see the airplane skidding along, it is slowing down, they’re slowing down and everything is going pretty well up until where they hit” the wall, said John Cox, an aviation safety consultant and a Boeing 737 pilot.

Cox said he suspects the cause of death for most of the passengers on board is “going to be blunt force trauma of hitting the wall.”

Barriers past airport runways are common and recommended.

At New York’s LaGuardia Airport and others, for example, there are engineered material arresting systems, or EMAS, installed — a crushable material that slows down a plane beyond the runway and prevents it rolling into more dangerous areas. In 2016, then-vice presidential candidate Mike Pence’s plane overran the runway at LaGuardia and was ultimately stopped by EMAS.

The barrier at the edge of the runway at Muan International Airport in South Korea did not appear to be frangible, or have the ability to break apart, according to video footage and expert analysis, something investigators are likely to focus on.



Source

Nationwide coordinated retail crime crackdown results in hundreds of arrests, authorities say
Business

Nationwide coordinated retail crime crackdown results in hundreds of arrests, authorities say

A nationwide coordinated crackdown on retail crime — what authorities are calling the first of its kind — led to hundreds of arrests in 28 states last week. The blitz, led by Illinois’ Cook County regional organized crime task force, involved more than 100 jurisdictions and over 30 retailers including Home Depot, Macy’s, Target, Ulta […]

Read More
Steph Curry’s Thirty Ink generated 4 million in revenue last year, and all of its businesses are profitable, company says
Business

Steph Curry’s Thirty Ink generated $174 million in revenue last year, and all of its businesses are profitable, company says

Steph Curry’s Gentleman’s Cut bourbon. Courtesy: Gentleman’s Cut Steph Curry is one of the greatest basketball players ever, and judging by his company’s financials, he’s off to a pretty good start in the business world. Curry is the CEO of Thirty Ink, a house-of-brands conglomerate that owns companies including Unanimous Media, Gentleman’s Cut bourbon and […]

Read More
McDonald’s is bringing back the snack wrap to U.S. restaurants next month
Business

McDonald’s is bringing back the snack wrap to U.S. restaurants next month

McDonald’s Snack Wrap. Courtesy: McDonald’s McDonald’s snack wraps will return to U.S. restaurants next month as the fast-food giant looks to boost sales after a sluggish start to the year. McDonald’s introduced snack wraps nearly two decades ago but discontinued the item in 2016 because it slowed its kitchens down too much. Some franchisees kept […]

Read More