"Audio Recording Device Voice File Conversion Completed on the Morning of the 2nd"
"Flight Recorder to be Investigated in the United States"
"No Concern of Bias as Accident Investigators Dispatched"
Joo Jong-wan, Director General of the Aviation Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, is briefing on the passenger accident response situation at Jeonnam Muan International Airport at the Government Sejong Complex on the 1st. Photo by Yonhap News
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 2nd that it has converted the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), which is data crucial for determining the cause of the passenger plane crash at Jeonnam Muan International Airport, into an audio file.
Joo Jong-wan, Director of the Aviation Policy Office, said at a briefing related to the Muan Airport passenger plane crash held at the Government Complex Sejong at 2 p.m. that day, "The conversion of the CVR into an audio file began the previous day and was expected to be completed the next day, but it was completed quickly that morning."
The airplane black box is divided into the CVR and the Flight Data Recorder (FDR). The CVR records conversations between the captain and the first officer and has a maximum capacity of about two hours. The FDR is a device used for post-accident investigation that automatically records key flight data during the flight. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport collected both devices on the day of the accident, December 29 last year.
The timing for the investigation of the FDR, which was to be sent to the United States for analysis, has not yet been determined. Director Joo said, "Due to component damage, the FDR was sent to the U.S. for investigation, but it is difficult to specify the exact timing," adding, "We will try to extract information as quickly as possible."
The Ministry announced the day before that the FDR would be sent to the U.S. They plan to analyze the FDR data with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Currently, the connector of the FDR is missing, making data extraction difficult. The connector is a thin and wide component that supplies power and transmits data.
Regarding concerns that the investigation in the U.S. might yield biased results, Director Joo said, "Since investigators from the Accident Investigation Committee will accompany the investigation in the U.S., biased results will not occur." The passenger plane involved in the Muan Airport accident is a B373-800 manufactured by the American company Boeing, raising concerns that the black box investigation conducted in the U.S. might produce results favorable to the U.S.
Director Joo stated, "The NTSB has the most advanced technology, so the FDR diagnosis will be conducted in the U.S.," and added, "If necessary, we will receive support by cooperating with the manufacturer."
Meanwhile, Director Joo said, "Safety supervisors have been dispatched to six airlines, including Jeju Air, that operate the same aircraft model as the accident plane to conduct focused inspections on engines, landing gear, maintenance records, and more," adding, "We are also checking other potential concerns." According to the Ministry, if safety supervisors find problems with engines or other parts during inspections, they can impose sanctions such as emergency flight suspensions.
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