South Korea to inspect Boeing B737-800 planes after crash

Open the editor’s digest for free

FT editor Rula Khalaf picks her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.

South Korea plans to test Boeing B737-800 planes after a passenger plane crashed on landing on Sunday.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok ordered emergency safety inspections of the country’s airline operations system as investigators probe why the twin-engine Boeing 737-800 operated by Jeju Air failed to deploy its landing gear. It burst into flames Muan International Airport in the southern part of the country.

On Monday morning, another B737-800 operated by the same airline returned to Gimpo Domestic Airport due to a warning message about its landing gear, Jeju Air said. The landing gear was later found to be working properly, the airline said. Shares Jeju Water They slid to their lowest level on Monday, falling as much as 16 percent.

“First, we are looking to conduct a special safety inspection of the B737-800 Boeing aircraft,” a Transport Ministry official said in a televised press conference on Monday. South KoreaMostly on budget airlines.

“We check their working conditions and whether the airlines comply with safety regulations, including regular maintenance before and after flights.”

The 737-800 is the “next generation” model of Boeing’s 737 single-aisle airliner, which has been the workhorse of short-haul air travel since its introduction in the 1990s. It is gradually being replaced by the more modern and fuel efficient 737 MAX.

While the cause of the crash is under investigation, it has been a difficult year for U.S. aviation since a 737 Max jet exploded in-flight in January, due to manufacturing problems and security protocols. Team is another failure. Following crashes in 2018 and 2019.

The ministry said the plane’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders were found to have some external damage and are being investigated for full analysis.

But the pilot told air traffic control that the plane had a bird strike and called Mayday shortly before the crash landed.

South Korea is leading the cause of the accident, but Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration are also participating in the investigation as the National Transportation Safety Board in the United States is sending an investigative team to the country.

The victims were mostly South Koreans returning from a holiday in Thailand.