Photo courtesy of Yonhap News

 

[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] The Korean Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) announced that the Dec. 29 Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 incident was caused by a combination of a bird strike and pilot error, with the pilot shutting down the wrong engine after the strike.



According to the ARAIB’s findings released on July 19 during a briefing to victims’ families at Muan International Airport, the aircraft’s engines were inspected in cooperation with U.S. and French accident investigation authorities, including Safran, the French engine manufacturer. From May 12 to June 4, a joint investigation team conducted an 18-day examination at Safran’s facilities in France.



The investigation found no inherent defects in the engines, but confirmed bird strike damage on both engines, with the right engine sustaining more severe internal damage than the left.



The ARAIB stated that at 8:58 a.m. on Dec. 29, 2024, Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 struck birds during a go-around maneuver. Both engines vibrated but remained operational.



The right engine, however, suffered compressor damage, which triggered a “surge” — a condition where disrupted airflow leads to irregular combustion — ultimately causing a significant fire.



Investigators determined that after declaring a “Mayday,” the pilot mistakenly shut down the left engine, which was functioning, rather than the right engine, which was on fire.



This critical error was verified using the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), flight data recorder (FDR), and findings from the engine tear-down inspection.



The investigation’s conclusion has sparked public criticism of government oversight of the incident and raised concerns about pilot training and emergency procedures in Korean aviation.

 

 

 

 

[ⓒ AlphaBIZ. 무단전재-재배포 금지]