Accident Interim Briefing Blames Pilot Error for Deadly Jeju Air Crash

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of KBS World

 

An interim report briefing into the Jeju Air crash at Muan International Airport that claimed 179 lives has identified pilot error as the likely cause of the disaster, drawing fierce criticism from both the pilots’ union and the families of victims.

 

The Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) presented its latest findings to bereaved families on the 19 July, at Muan International Airport, concluding that the pilot mistakenly shut down the aircraft’s functioning left engine following a bird strike, rather than the more severely damaged right engine.

 

The fatal accident occurred on 29 December 2024, when the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800, flying from Bangkok, attempted an emergency landing at Muan Airport in South Jeolla Province. The aircraft overshot the runway and crashed into an embankment, igniting a fire and causing a partial explosion. Only two of the 181 people on board survived.

Officials from the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) wait outside a briefing room at Muan International Airport on July 19, 2025, as victims’ families protest ahead of the engine investigation briefing for the Dec. 29 passenger plane crash.

 

According to the ARAIB, the conclusion was reached after both engines were shipped to Paris in May for detailed examination by the manufacturer. No mechanical defects were found in either engine. Instead, investigators said the decision to shut down the less-damaged left engine led to a total loss of engine power and main power to the aircraft. This also compromised critical systems, including the flight data recorder, cockpit voice recorder, and landing gear.

 

The South Korean investigation body cancelled a planned release to media of an update on what is known so far about the engines, after briefing the families, because they objected to its publication, saying that it appeared to apportion blame to the pilots without exploring other contributing factors, lawyers representing the families said.

 

Representatives of the victims’ families accused authorities of jumping to conclusions while the investigation remains incomplete. They also criticised what they called a lack of transparency, particularly regarding the extent of the bird strike damage and the verification of black box data.

 

In a separate statement, the Jeju Air pilots’ union condemned the interim report, denouncing it as a “malicious attempt” to assign blame solely to the flight crew.

 

“We strongly oppose the characterisation of this tragedy as a simple case of pilot error,” the union said. “This narrative diverts attention from other critical factors that may have contributed to the crash.”

 

The union also questioned whether sufficient consideration had been given to environmental hazards, infrastructure issues such as the embankment struck during the crash, and broader systemic failures.

 

The ARAIB is expected to release a full report within one year of the crash, in line with international aviation standards. Until then, calls for a more thorough and balanced investigation are growing louder.

 

Related article:

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1347425-jeju-air-flight-from-bangkok-skids-off-runway-at-muan-airport-28-dead/

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from KBS World 2025-07-21