Victims’ families declare a report accusing pilot error

An investigation into the Jeju air aircraft crash in December has found that the aircraft pilot missed the wrong engine, local media reported.

The release of the report planned over the weekend has slowed down after heated protests by victims families.

Families were informed of the findings earlier and accused investigators of pushing the guilt on the pilot while ignoring other contributing factors.

All, except for two of the 181 people aboard Jeju’s air plane, died after the plane crashed into a barrier and burst into flames while landing at Muan International Airport, the most deadly plane crash on the South Korean soil.

On the morning of December 29, Jeju Air Flight 2216 pilots reported a bird strike and called for May when the plane approached the track.

The pilots then tried to land from the opposite direction. Video shots showed that the plane makes a belly landing – without landing – on the asphalt and sliding into a concrete barrier.

The two engines of the aircraft were sent to France in March for analysis. The recent findings of the Aviation Investigation Council and Rail accidents in South Korea have found that the pilot has turned off the left engine – which has no defects – instead of the right engine that is more damaged by the bird’s impact.

However, the victims’ families said the report did not mention the specific barrier at the end of the track, which they claim was what made the incident so devastating.

“The concerned families are looking for a fair and transparent investigation into the accident,” they said in a statement, calling for investigators to conduct a briefing at the press “only after the complete and careful examination is completed.”

In a statement on Sunday, the Jeju Air Pilots Union in a similar way criticized the latest findings for alleged focus on misconduct, while downplaying other contributing factors.

However, a source of knowledge of the probe told Reuters that investigators would not change their discoveries as they had “clear evidence and reserve data”.

Following the crash, the South Korea Ministry said in January that it would remove concrete barriers at seven airports.

In May, the victims’ families filed a criminal appeal against Jeju Air Executive Director Kim E-bei, citing professional negligence. Kim is among 24 people who have been investigated by police because of their role in the accident.