Jeju Air 'black box' data missing from last 4 minutes before crash, South Korea ministry says

The Jeju Air jet crash on December 29, which resulted in the tragic deaths of 179 people, remains under intense investigation by South Korean authorities. The flight data and cockpit voice recorders, or "black boxes," were crucial in understanding the crash but stopped recording about four minutes before the aircraft collided with a concrete structure at Muan airport.

Initial investigations revealed that the flight data recorder had stopped functioning during the critical final moments, and it was sent to the United States for further analysis in collaboration with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Meanwhile, the cockpit voice recorder was first examined in South Korea before being sent to the NTSB lab after it was found that some data was missing.

Jeju Air Flight 7C2216, a Boeing 737-800, had departed Bangkok, Thailand, and was en route to Muan in southwestern South Korea when the disaster occurred. The aircraft suffered a bird strike, prompting the pilots to declare an emergency about four minutes before the crash. However, instead of following through with the go-around procedure after being cautioned about bird activity, the pilots made a sharp turn and approached the runway from the opposite direction. The aircraft crash-landed without its landing gear deployed and exploded upon hitting an embankment at the end of the runway.

Surviving crew members, who were seated in the tail section, were rescued with injuries. The investigation revealed that the bird strike had caused significant disruption, but the sequence of events following that—including the aircraft's unorthodox maneuvering and the failure to complete a full go-around—are under close scrutiny.

The transport ministry has stated that the missing data from the final minutes of the flight was surprising, as it suggests that power may have been cut from the aircraft, including its backup systems. This situation is considered rare and could offer critical insights into the circumstances leading up to the crash.

Some families of the victims have expressed concerns about the investigation's leadership and have called for independent experts, particularly those chosen by the families, to be involved. These concerns have been raised as the investigation continues into the design of the embankment, which was meant to support the "localiser" system for aircraft landings. The proximity of the embankment to the runway and its rigid structure are now being questioned, as it may have contributed to the severity of the crash.

The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have pledged to keep the process transparent and share findings with the families of the victims.