Investigators in began on Friday clearing the wreckage of the Jeju Air plane which killing all but two of the 181 people on board.
at Muan International Airport on Sunday, flying back from Bangkok. The exact cause of the crash has yet to be determined. Investigators suspect a bird strike, faulty landing gear or the barrier at the end of the runway.
Investigations into the crash were extended by a week, with the engine manufacturer of the plane joining the probe.
What did investigators say about clearing the wreckage?
Investigators began on Friday lifting sections of the plane’s fuselage, using cranes.
“Today, we will lift the tail section of the plane,” said Na Won-ho, head of investigations for the South Jeolla provincial police.
“We expect there may be remains found in that section,” he told a press conference at Muan International Airport. “For all that to be complete and to have the results, we must wait until tomorrow.”
Officials said some of the bodies of the victims were extremely damaged due to the violent destruction of the aircraft. Piecing bodies together while preserving evidence of the crash site would be a time-consuming challenge.
However, authorities have already identified all 179 victims, with some bodies having been released to families for funerals to be held.
Relatives of the victims visited the Muan crash site to pay their respects and collect the belongings of their loved ones.
GE Aerospace joins crash investigation
Meanwhile, the investigation into the crash expanded on Friday, with GE Aerospace joining the probe. The US company’s joint venture manufactured the engines of the crashed Boeing airplane.
South Korea’s Transport Ministry said it was extending its inspections to January 10, initially set to conclude on Friday.
“Investigators are in the process of probing the cause of the accident by piecing together a puzzle,” Joo Jong-wan, the deputy transport minister for civil aviation, told a press briefing.
Another ministry official said would investigate whether the airlines spent sufficient time on maintenance and secured parts for repairs.
GE Aerospace representative’s addition brings the size of the investigating team to 23, including 12 Korean investigators and US representatives from Boeing as well as the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Some questions investigators have yet to answer include why the Boeing 737-800 aircraft failed to deploy its landing gear, as well as why the pilot apparently rushed into a second attempt at landing, after declaring an emergency and telling air traffic control the plane had suffered a bird strike.
On Thursday, declaring a search and seizure operation to determine the cause of the accident.
rmt/wd (AFP, Reuters)
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