Bird feathers and blood found in two engines of crashed Korean plane

(CLO) Investigators have found bird feathers and blood in both engines of the Jeju Air plane that crashed in South Korea last month, killing 179 people, a source close to the investigation revealed on Friday.

The Boeing 737-800, en route from Bangkok, Thailand to Muan County, southwestern South Korea, crashed and skidded off the runway, then burst into flames after colliding with a wall. The accident became the worst aviation disaster in South Korea. Only two crew members in the tail of the plane survived.

MBC News has released footage showing what appears to be a bird strike to the engine of a Boeing 737 just before its disastrous landing attempt at Muan Airport. Screenshot.

According to South Korean authorities, about four minutes before the accident, a pilot reported a collision with a bird and immediately issued an emergency signal, then made a landing loop at the other end of the runway.

Notably, just two minutes before the pilot sent out an emergency signal, air traffic control warned the crew to be cautious due to the presence of many birds flying around the area.

Investigators said they found bird feathers in an engine recovered from the scene. In addition, surveillance video clearly showed the plane had been struck by a bird.

The plane’s two black boxes – the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder – are considered key to understanding the cause of the crash. However, experts say the black boxes stopped recording about four minutes before the crash, making the investigation very difficult.

Sim Jai-dong, a former investigator at South Korea's transport ministry, said the data loss was unusual and that the entire power system, including backup power, could have been cut off – a rare occurrence.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has also warned that although bird strikes are rare, they can cause serious damage to people and property, requiring airlines and airports to be more vigilant and apply advanced technology to minimize risks.

The investigation is still underway with coordination between Korea, Boeing and international organizations to soon reach an official conclusion.

Hong Hanh (according to Yonhap, Reuters, MBC)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/phat-hien-mau-va-long-chim-trong-hai-dong-co-may-bay-gap-nanhan-quoc-post330810.html