Jeju Air Disaster US Lawsuit Intensifies: "Possible Engine Defect and Government Certification Inadequacy"

Rebeck Law Requests Information Disclosure from U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
"Possibility That Aircraft Engine Certification Was Not Properly Conducted"

Lawsuits to uncover the truth behind the Jeju Air disaster that occurred last year at Muan International Airport are set to intensify in the United States.

Firefighters are searching for belongings at the site of the Jeju Air passenger plane accident that occurred on December 29, 2024, at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do. Photo by Kang Jin-hyeong

Global aviation litigation law firm Rebeck Law Chartered (Rebeck Law) announced on the 17th that it has requested information disclosure from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster. This marks the beginning of formal legal procedures to file a lawsuit in the U.S. on behalf of the victims and their families.

Rebeck Law submitted a request to the FAA for all documents related to the engine certification of the accident aircraft, a Boeing 737-8AS. The aircraft was equipped with a CFM56-7B turbofan engine manufactured by CFM International.

The requested materials include engine type certification records, certification test results and performance data, airworthiness directives applied to the engine, compliance and conformity documents submitted by CFM International and Boeing, as well as internal and external FAA documents related to engine certification and airworthiness maintenance.

Monica R. Kelly, Global Litigation Head and aviation litigation specialist at Rebeck Law, stated, "For an aircraft engine to receive commercial approval, it must meet the U.S. federal government's strict safety and performance standards. If procedures were not properly followed during the certification process or issues were overlooked, it could lead to a fatal accident."

She added, "There is a possibility that this accident falls into such a case. The materials requested through this information disclosure are crucial in determining the cause of the accident."

Rebeck Law has launched a full investigation, considering the possibility that manufacturing defects including engine design flaws and regulatory oversight failures may have contributed to the accident.

In particular, this information disclosure request aims to clarify whether appropriate airworthiness testing, certification, and monitoring were conducted for the CFM56-7B engine, which is widely used in the Boeing 737 series.

Manuel Bonn Rebeck, founding partner of Rebeck Law, said, "This information disclosure request is the first step toward filing multimillion-dollar lawsuits in U.S. courts against all responsible parties, including manufacturers, parts suppliers, and certification authorities. We will do our utmost to uncover the truth and achieve justice for the victims."