Bird remains found in both engines of crashed Jeju Air jet, report says Plane appears to have hit ducks before it crashed in Muan, South Korea, last month killing 179 people onboard.
An investigation into the deadliest air disaster on South Korean soil has found duck remains in both engines, according to a preliminary report, suggesting the passenger jet hit birds before slamming down on the runway.
The six-page report did not go beyond factual details and several questions remain, such as why the jet abandoned its first landing attempt and then turned around to land on the same runway in the opposite direction – a rare manoeuvre as pilots prefer to land into the wind, which helps with stability and braking.
While officials have not yet determined the cause of last month’s Jeju Air crash that killed all but two of the 181 people onboard, the report released on Monday said feathers and bird bloodstains were found inside the Boeing 737-800’s engines.
“The samples were sent to specialised organisations for DNA analysis and a domestic organisation identified them as belonging to Baikal teals,” said the report from South Korea’s Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board.
