An official investigates inside the aircraft that crashed at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, Sunday. (Yonhap via The Korea Herald/Asia News Network)
The tragic Jeju Air crash at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province has prompted scrutiny of airport safety standards, with aviation experts pointing to a concrete embankment placed near the end of the runway as a potential key factor in the disaster that claimed 179 lives.
Investigators are also questioning whether landing from the opposite direction might have mitigated the impact.
The crash occurred when a Boeing 737-800 was attempting an emergency belly landing after the landing gear did not deploy, but slid over the end of the runway and collided with a concrete structure housing a localizer, a type of navigational aid.
The collision caused the plane to burst into flames and break apart.
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Experts have said the embankment’s placement, approximately 250 meters beyond the end of the runway, fails to meet industry best practices, which preclude any hard structure within at least 300 meters of the end of the runway.
The Muan International Airport operations manual, uploaded in 2020, had also flagged the embankment’s proximity to the runway, recommending a review during the airport’s planned expansion.
Under regulations from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the area at the end of a runway, known as the Runway End Safety Area, must be free of obstructions. Any equipment installed within this zone must be constructed with lightweight materials designed to break upon impact. This ensures that an aircraft would suffer minimal damage in the event of an overrun.
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The lack of information on the concrete structure has further raised concerns. Investigations found the embarkment was not disclosed to pilots or aviation professionals as a potential hazard, with neither the embankment’s rigid structure nor its height being mentioned in the Notices to Air Missions. NOTAMs are used to inform pilots and aviation personnel of potential safety hazards, such as obstacles, facilities and changes in airport infrastructure.
The crash has also ignited debate over whether another choice of runway approach during the emergency landing in the second attempt could have mitigated the disaster.
Muan International Airport has a single 2,800-meter runway, designated as “01” and “19” based on the landing direction — 01 is northbound, 19 is southbound.
Due to ongoing runway extension work since October, the usable length for the southbound runway has been reduced to 2,500 meters. However, the runway retained its full 2,800-meter landing distance in the other direction, by incorporating an additional 300 meters of stopway.
The plane initially attempted to land on the longer, northbound runway, but aborted after declaring an emergency due to a suspected bird strike. During the second attempt, the pilot opted for the southbound runway, which was closer after the go-around maneuver.
Experts suggest that if the aircraft had landed from the other direction, the additional 300 meters of runway could have provided more distance for the plane to slow down during the belly landing, potentially reducing the severity of the crash.
A significant factor contributing to the scale of the disaster was the presence of a concrete embankment at the southern end of the runway. This 2-meter-high, 4-meter-thick structure, designed to secure a navigation system, remained in place during the ongoing extension work.
In contrast, the embankment at the northern end of the runway had been removed for construction purposes.
The plane’s collision with the embankment caused catastrophic damage, turning what could have been a survivable incident into a devastating tragedy.
The Transport Ministry on Thursday said the process of building the low hill and whether the government had confirmed its blueprint are under investigation, and related information will be revealed once it is sorted out.
Amid growing speculations over the safety regulations, the Transport Ministry said that it has commenced a comprehensive inspection of facilities across all 17 airports in the country. The nationwide review will assess materials, construction standards and the proximity of airport facilities to runways, particularly those that may pose risks to flight operations.
Meanwhile, South Korean police launched a series of raids Thursday, deploying 30 officers to search the offices of Muan International Airport’s operational department, the Busan Regional Aviation Administration’s Muan branch and Jeju Air’s Seoul office. Police have applied for search warrants under suspicions of gross negligence resulting in death or injury. No suspects have been officially booked as of Thursday evening.