South Korea to remove concrete embankment blamed for exacerbating deadly plane crash
Author: Ren Xianxiu
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s Transport Ministry said on Wednesday it would remove a concrete embankment installed at Muan International Airport following last month’s Jeju Air crash, South Korea’s worst domestic air disaster.
While investigators are still looking into what led to the crash of Jeju Air Flight 7C2216, including a reported bird strike, experts say the huge berm at the end of the runway that supported navigation antennas may have made the disaster more deadly.
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In the first broad reforms announced after the accident, authorities said they would provide new foundations or other installations for similar antennas at seven airports including Muan and Jeju International, one of South Korea’s busiest airports. Adjustable, these airfields are either lower than the ground or easy to install rest.
The decision follows a review of the antenna structure that guides landings at airports across the country, known as instrument landing systems (ILS), or “localizers.”
“Muan International Airport plans to completely remove the existing concrete and reinstall locators in the fragile structure,” the ministry said in a statement.
The December 29 crash killed 179 people, with only two crew members sitting near the rear of the Boeing 737-800 surviving.
Video footage shows the airliner slamming into a building and exploding after landing at high speed without lowering its landing gear and sliding across the end of the runway.
The runway design has also been criticized for not meeting safety standards, prompting authorities to expand the safety zone behind the runway, which is free of major obstacles.
The Department of Transportation said it will ensure that all airports have a 240-meter (787-foot) runway safety area to meet all relevant regulations. Before the accident, the Muan Airport area was about 200 meters long.
Separately, police said Son Chang-wan, the former president of the state-run Korea Airports Corporation, was found dead at his home on Tuesday in an apparent suicide.
A police official said Son was not under investigation for the crash and had not been summoned for questioning.
The transportation ministry said on Saturday that the closure of Muan Airport has been extended until April 18.
(Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Jamie Freed)
