Mystery as doomed South Korean jet’s black box stopped recording data four minutes BEFORE fireball crash killed 179
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A SHOCKING twist has been reported in the case of the Jeju Air crash as South Korea's ministry says the aircraft's black box stopped minutes before the disaster. The crash at Muan International Airport that killed 179 people on December 29 saw the airliner land on its belly and career off the runway before hitting a wall and turning into a fireball.
![[A young couple embracing at a bus stop.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/7c2216-crashed-muan-international-airport-960632260.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
As authorities investigate the worst airline disaster on South Korean soil, the transport ministry revealed that flight data and cockpit voice recorders stopped processing data four minutes before the crash. The ministry is now investigating how the aircraft's black boxes, which are designed to be almost indestructible, stopped working.
![[Scene from Lovers Rock showing a group of young people at a party.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/photo-handout-south-koreas-ministry-962923287.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Black boxes are usually found at the back of the aircraft near the tail, which is usually the least damaged part in a crash. They are designed to withstand extreme temperatures, high-speed impact, and submersion underwater to help investigators retrieve crucial flight data.
![[Police investigators at the wreckage of a crashed plane.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/181-people-thailand-south-korea-960670084.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
This includes speed, altitude, engine noise, radio transmissions and voice recordings from the cockpit. However, they are not entirely fail-safe and can be destroyed. On the Jeju Air flight, there were two separate black boxes, one recording data regarding the aircraft itself and the other recording the pilots in the cockpit - both stopped working.
![[Timeline infographic of a South Korean plane crash at Muan International Airport, showing events leading up to the crash, including a bird strike and mayday call.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/AP-30-12-S-KOREA-PLANE-CRASH-v2_d89161.jpg?strip=all&w=758)
