Seoul (EFE).- South Korea’s parliament on Monday opened an independent investigation into the December 2024 Jeju Air plane crash that killed 179 people, following complaints from victims’ families about the official inquiry.
The investigation into the deadliest civil aviation disaster in the country’s history will be carried out by an 18-member parliamentary committee, according to local news agency Yonhap.
Lawmakers will review possible causes of the crash, including a suspected bird strike just before landing, potential mechanical or engine failures, and the embankment the plane struck at the end of the runway.
The committee will also look into whether there were attempts to cover up findings from the official investigation, Yonhap reported.
The official report has not yet been released, but a source close to the inquiry told local media in July that the aircraft’s pilots may have mistakenly shut down the less damaged engine after the bird strike before landing.
The investigation has already revealed that Jeju Air, in an effort to maximize aircraft operational efficiency, minimized preflight maintenance checks to the lowest level permitted by law.
The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, was believed to have been damaged by a bird strike and attempted to land without deploying its landing gear or other braking systems, veering off the runway and crashing into a wall at Muan Airport in southwestern South Korea.
Two people survived the crash and 179 were killed, making the Dec. 29, 2024, disaster the worst civil aviation crash ever to occur on South Korean soil and the deadliest worldwide that year. EFE
cor-daa/lds
