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Jeju Air crash: Victims' families decry report blaming pilot error | Jeju Air crash: Victims' families decry report blaming pilot error |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Families of the victims say a concrete mound that the plane crashed into had made the accident so devastating | |
An investigation into South Korea's deadliest air disaster has found that a pilot mistakenly shut off the wrong engine, local media has reported. | |
All but two of the 181 people on board Jeju Air Flight 2216 were killed when it crashed into a barrier in December while attempting to land at Muan International Airport, following a bird strike on one of its engines. | |
The release of the investigation, scheduled for last weekend, has been delayed after protests from the families of the victims who were briefed on its findings. | |
They accused investigators of pinning the blame on the pilot while ignoring other contributing factors. | |
On the morning of 29 December, the pilots of Flight 2216 reported a bird strike and made a mayday call as their aircraft approached the runway. | |
The pilots then tried to land from the opposite direction. Video showed the plane making a belly landing - without landing gear - and skidding along the runway into a concrete barrier. | |
The aircraft's two engines were sent to France in March for analysis. The recent findings from South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board found that a pilot had turned off the left engine - which had no defects - instead of the right engine, which was severely damaged by the bird strike. | |
However, families of the victims said that the report did not mention the concrete barrier at the end of the runway, which they argued is what made the accident so devastating. | However, families of the victims said that the report did not mention the concrete barrier at the end of the runway, which they argued is what made the accident so devastating. |
"The bereaved families seek a fair and transparent investigation into the accident," they said in a statement, and urged investigators to conduct a press briefing "only after a full and careful examination has been completed". | |
In a statement on Sunday, the Jeju Air pilots' union similarly criticised the recent findings for allegedly focusing on pilots' misjudgement and downplaying other contributing factors. | |
A source with knowledge of the probe, however, told Reuters that investigators would not change their findings as they had "clear evidence and backup data". | A source with knowledge of the probe, however, told Reuters that investigators would not change their findings as they had "clear evidence and backup data". |
Following the crash, South Korea's transport ministry said in January that it would remove concrete barriers at seven airports. | Following the crash, South Korea's transport ministry said in January that it would remove concrete barriers at seven airports. |
In May, families of the victims lodged a criminal complaint against Jeju Air chief executive Kim E-bae, citing professional negligence. Mr Kim is among 24 people being investigated over the accident. |