"Control Tower Informed Fire Brigade 3 Minutes Before Crash... 146 Victims Identified"

Localizer Replaced According to Internal Regulations
Material and Other Standards Under Review

Just before a Jeju Air passenger plane made a belly landing at Muan International Airport, the control tower immediately requested the fire brigade to be on standby for dispatch. The fire brigade departed for the runway right after the plane belly-landed, but it was difficult to avoid a disaster.

On the 30th, Lee Jin-cheol, the head of the Central Accident Response Headquarters (CARH) of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, held a press briefing at 4 p.m. and revealed these details.

The sequence of events is as follows. On the 29th at 08:54, Jeju Air flight 7C2216 received landing clearance from the control tower. At 08:57, the control tower warned to be cautious of bird activity. At 08:59, the pilot declared a Mayday three times to signal an emergency and informed the control tower of a bird strike and go-around. This emergency declaration gave the passenger plane priority for landing.

At 09:00, the plane attempted to re-approach the runway after the go-around. The standard procedure is to make a left turn, climb to 5,000 feet, and then land in the same direction. However, this aircraft made a right turn and headed in the opposite direction. The control tower sensed something unusual and at 09:00:22 notified the fire brigade to be on standby for dispatch.

At 09:01, the control tower authorized the plane to land in the opposite direction. At 09:02:34, the control tower requested fire trucks to dispatch, and three fire trucks departed for the runway at 09:02:55. However, the aircraft began touching down at 09:02 and collided with the airport outer wall at 09:03.

Regarding the concrete azimuth facility near the runway (landing guidance safety facility, localizer), it was first installed in 2007 and replaced last February after its regulatory durability period of 14 years had passed. While there are standards for the operation and installation of the localizer, no standards related to the material have yet been found.

Meanwhile, as of 3 p.m. that day, the identities of 146 out of 179 deceased passengers were confirmed. The remaining victims will be identified through DNA verification with their families.

On the 29th, a Jeju Air passenger plane carrying 181 passengers collided with the outer wall of the runway while landing at Muan International Airport, causing a fire that resulted in the deaths of most passengers. The wreckage of the aircraft is placed on the runway of Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung