South Korean investigators said Saturday they were close to finishing transcribing the cockpit voice recorder from a fatal plane crash that left 179 people dead last week.
The footage may contain clues about the final moments of Jeju Air Flight 2216, which was carrying 181 passengers and crew from Thailand to South Korea on Sunday when it landed upside down before crashing into a concrete barrier at the end of a runway. airport.
South Korean and American investigators, including those from plane maker Boeing, have been combing the crash site in southwest Muan since the disaster to establish a cause.
“The transcription of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) is expected to be complete today, and the flight data recorder (FDR) is in the process of being prepared for transportation to the United States” for analysis, the ministry said. of South Korean Land in a statement.
Investigators also recovered the plane’s engine from the crash site this week, the ministry added.
The exact cause of the Boeing 737-800 crash is still unknown, but investigators have pointed to a bird strike, faulty landing gear and the runway barrier as possible problems.
This week, authorities carried out search and seizure operations at the Muan airport where the flight crashed, a regional aviation office in the southwestern city and the Jeju Air office in the capital Seoul, police said.
Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae has been banned from leaving the country while the investigation continues, police also said.
The pilot warned of a bird strike before abandoning a first landing and then crashing on a second attempt when the landing gear failed to emerge.
Dramatic video showed the plane crashing into the concrete barrier at the end of the runway before bursting into flames.
Authorities have begun clearing up the wreckage of the plane and returning some of the bodies of identified victims and personal belongings recovered from the crash site to grieving families.
The plane was carrying mainly South Korean tourists returning from their New Year’s Eve trips to Bangkok, except for two Thai passengers.
Local media footage showed authorities handing out items including smartphones and dried mango and coconut from Thailand.
