Jeju Air Disaster Victims' Families Demand Full Disclosure

Call for Full Disclosure of Communications and Black Box Data
Criticism Over "Lack of Independence, Swayed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport"

The families of the victims of the 12·29 Jeju Air passenger plane disaster have called on the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB), the agency investigating the accident, to fully uncover the truth and disclose all information.

In a statement released the previous day, the families said, "Despite this being a major disaster in which 179 people lost their lives, there has been no effort to uncover the truth or hold those responsible accountable, and the incident is being forgotten." They added, "ARAIB must transparently disclose all information to the families."

On the 22nd of last month, officials from the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board investigating the cause of the Jeju Air passenger plane accident at Muan International Airport in Jeonnam are conducting an on-site investigation of the azimuth facility (localizer). Photo by Yonhap News

The families argued, "ARAIB must release communications between the control tower and pilots, black box recordings, and other relevant data to clarify what issues occurred with the aircraft's engine, when the bird strike happened, and how the pilots responded."

They further criticized, "ARAIB is disclosing only extremely limited and selective information, citing international regulations, and is forcing families to sign confidentiality agreements while refusing to answer their questions." They added, "This has led to reasonable suspicions that ARAIB is not independent from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport."

The families also pointed out that ARAIB's lack of information disclosure is inconsistent with international practices, referencing the 2018 Lion Air and 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX crash investigations as examples.

On the same day, the Gwangju Bar Association's Jeju Air Disaster Legal Support Team and the Gwangju-Jeonnam branch of Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun) also released a statement, saying, "The sequence of events between the bird strike, as announced by ARAIB, and the go-around of the accident aircraft remains unclear."

The legal support team stated, "Although it was announced that engine power was lost before the accident, it appears the right engine continued to operate until the belly landing, and the aircraft flew 17 kilometers after the bird strike, yet this aspect has not been investigated." They added, "A more proactive investigation by law enforcement is urgently needed," and announced plans to file a formal complaint against those responsible for the accident on the 13th.