South Korean authorities have cited multiple engine shutdowns and repeated drills on bird collision response procedures as part of planned safety improvements after the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crash.
The investigation into the Dec. 29 accident has not yet reached a conclusion, but South Korea's Ministry of Transport has ordered a thorough safety review of the airline's operations and airport facilities.
The 737 crew was attempting a second landing at Muan Airport with the landing gear up in the opposite direction of the initial approach when the jet overran and the attached localizer It collided with the antenna.
In the two weeks since the accident, six airlines operating the 737-800 have been inspected: Jeju Air, Korean Air, Incheon Air, Easter Air, Jin Air, and T'way Air. The ministry also inspected navigation systems at 13 airports.
Airline inspections focus on maintenance history, procedural compliance and maintenance records of key systems, including engines and landing gear.
The ministry said some airlines (it did not specify which ones) had exceeded their pre-flight and post-flight inspection times or after there were signs of electrical abnormalities in their hydraulic systems. The company was found to have failed to follow certain procedures to repair the defects, such as replacing filters. Pump overheating.
However, the state-run airline was said to have generally complied with operational and maintenance regulations.
But the ministry said it was planning “significant improvements” to operational safety, including incorporating two or more engine shutdown drills and incorporating bird strike response into pre-flight briefings. There is.
There is no indication whether these changes are directly related to the circumstances surrounding the crash of Jeju Flight 737.
The presence of a raised localizer antenna at Muan Airport, where the plane crashed at high speed, has also raised concerns within the ministry.
The inspection examined the design and installation of localizer and glideslope antennas, DME and VOR navigation beacons.
Those inspections found that the facility was “well maintained” and had “most” adequate safety features built in, including the use of fragile materials during construction.
However, it was discovered that nine facilities at seven airports had concrete foundations or platforms, and the affected areas include Muan, Gimhae, Jeju, Sacheon, Gwangju, Yeosu, Pohang City, Gyeongju was also included.
The ministry said inspections showed “improvements are required” at these airports.
The company plans to carry out further inspections and formulate improvement measures by the end of January, with the aim of completing the work by the end of the year.
While acknowledging the public's concerns over the construction of the Muan localizer, the ministry said that while fragile facilities only apply to those within the runway and its safety end zones, the Muan localizer complies with South Korea's airport law. He pointed out that he was complying. this area.
It added that the regulations governing the installation of navigation facilities only specify the frequency and signal strength of the localizer, but not the height or material of the antenna support structure.
But the ministry said it would “quickly” improve such structures “regardless of compliance status” and review “extensive” and “complex” standards related to airport facilities to resolve interpretive confusion. I made it clear.
