South Korea extends inspections of Boeing 737-800 after deadly crash By Reuters

By Hyunjoo Jin

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s Transport Ministry prolonged particular inspections of 101 Boeing (NYSE:) 737-800 plane operated by the nation’s airways for an additional week, following the nation’s worst aviation catastrophe , mentioned a ministry official. Friday.

The ministry launched the inspections following Sunday’s crash of a Boeing 737-800 operated by Jeju Air, which killed 179 folks. The inspections have been resulting from finish on Friday however have been prolonged till January 10, the official advised Reuters, with out specifying the explanation.

The Jeju Air flight from Bangkok to Muan County in southwest South Korea landed on its stomach and overshot the regional airport’s runway, exploding into flames after hitting an embankment.

The ministry mentioned it might assessment the engines, upkeep data and touchdown gear of all 737-800s, and that an airline’s operations might be suspended for severe violations.

The Transport Ministry additionally held an emergency assembly with the final managers of 11 airways, together with main airways Korean Air Traces and Asiana Airways, to debate measures to strengthen aviation security, the ministry official mentioned. .

The South Korean investigation group introduced Friday that two of its members will depart subsequent week for the USA to research the flight information recorder from the accident, in cooperation with the Nationwide Transportation Security Board (NTSB) American.

The group additionally research the airplane wreckage and interviews officers on the airport management tower.

Investigators will analyze information from 107 cellphones recovered from the crash web site, together with textual content messages, to seek out clues about what occurred earlier than the crash, Yonhap Information mentioned.

Performing South Korean President Choi Sang-mok on Friday urged investigators to work rapidly to gather proof from the crash scene and analyze a voice recorder.

Unanswered questions embrace why the airplane didn’t deploy its touchdown gear and what led the pilot to apparently rush right into a second touchdown try after informing air site visitors management that the airplane had suffered a chicken strike and declared an emergency.

Police mentioned Thursday they have been looking Jeju Air and the operator of Muan Worldwide Airport and barred Jeju Air chief govt Kim E-bae and one other unidentified official from leaving the nation.