‘Everyone could have survived’: South Korea plane doomed by single fatal error, expert says after horror crash kills 179
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AN AVIATION expert claims "everyone could have survived" the doomed South Korean jet crash that killed 179. David Learmount of Flight International Magazine says a single fatal error led to South Korea's worst domestic aviation disaster. Learmount pinned the tragedy on a runway landing beacon that was improperly placed in the runway's overrun.
![[The jet skidded off the runway and into a wall]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/173-south-koreans-two-thais-960293242_1039ff.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
He told Sky: “I don’t know what standards they think were appropriate but other airports do not put the instrument landing system antennae in a concrete structure. “If that hadn’t been there everybody would be alive now.". He added that the structures are usually collapsible in other airports rather than being concrete to prevent fatal collisions.
![[A landing assistance system made from concrete was built onto a bank at the end of the runway]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/181-people-thailand-south-korea-960562050.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
David heaped praise on the pilot for his calm and effective landing and said the disaster only happened due to the wall. The expert thinks the plane hit the tarmac at about 200mph. He said: “What we saw in the video was the aircraft being put down beautifully - it was perfectly level.".
![[The wreckage of the aircraft after it ran off the end of the runway]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/wreckage-jeju-air-aircraft-went-960565492.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
But, then the plane hit the wall, causing it to explode in a giant fireball and kill most on board. A number of other aviation experts have also commented on outstanding questions following the disaster. Gregory Alegi, an aviation expert and former teacher at Italy's air force academy, said: "At this point there are a lot more questions than we have answers.
![[The flight landed without the wheels deploying]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2024-screengrab-obtained-video-lee-960348217_17d8a3.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
"Why was the plane going so fast? Why were the flaps not open? Why was the landing gear not down?". Christian Beckert, a flight safety expert and Lufthansa pilot, said the video footage suggested that aside from the reversers, most of the plane's braking systems were not activated, creating a "big problem" and a fast landing.
![[Soldiers search through long grass near the crash site]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/181-people-bangkok-south-korea-960327433.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
