Jeju Air Flight 2216 Crash: Black Boxes Lost Data Four Minutes Before Impact

South Korea's Transport Ministry has revealed that the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of Jeju Air Flight 2216 stopped recording four minutes before the Boeing 737-800 crashed at Muan International Airport on December 29.

The crash resulted in 179 fatalities out of 181 passengers and crew, making it the deadliest aviation disaster in South Korean history.

Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 was en route from Bangkok, Thailand, to Muan, South Korea, when it crash-landed, hit a concrete barrier, and exploded. Investigators are probing potential causes, including a bird strike, faulty landing gear, and the proximity of a rigid localizer barrier at the runway's end.

The black boxes, which collect flight data and record cockpit communications, are critical to understanding the sequence of events before the crash. The Transport Ministry reported that both the FDR and CVR ceased recording during the final four minutes of the flight. Initial analysis conducted in South Korea revealed the data loss, prompting authorities to send the devices to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board for further examination.

Lead investigator Lee Seung-yeol confirmed the presence of feathers in one of the plane's engines, suggesting a bird strike might have occurred. However, he emphasized that such an incident does not necessarily result in immediate engine failure. The flight's pilot had reported a bird strike and aborted the initial landing attempt, opting for a go-around. During the second approach, the aircraft crash-landed without deploying its landing gear.

Sim Jai-dong, a former Transport Ministry investigator, speculated that the simultaneous loss of power to the FDR and CVR could indicate a complete electrical failure, an uncommon occurrence.

Authorities have intensified their investigation by raiding offices at Muan Airport, Jeju Air's Seoul headquarters, and a regional aviation office. The chief executive of Jeju Air has been barred from leaving the country as part of the ongoing probe.

The crash has also raised questions about the localizer barrier at the end of the runway. Designed to aid aircraft landings, the rigid structure may have worsened the impact. Investigators are examining its placement and construction, with critics questioning why it was built so close to the runway.

Some relatives of the victims have criticized the Transport Ministry's handling of the investigation, calling for the involvement of independent experts, including representatives chosen by the families. Transport Minister Park Sang-woo offered his resignation earlier this week, expressing a "heavy sense of responsibility" for the tragedy.

The Transport Ministry has pledged transparency throughout the investigation and assured victims' families that findings will be shared. Authorities are exploring all available data to uncover the crash's cause and understand why the black boxes failed during the crucial final moments of the flight.