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| The wreckage of the crashed Jeju Air plane is seen at Muan International Airport in South Korea on December 30 | Photo: Reuters |
The two black boxes of a passenger plane that crashed in South Korea last month recorded no data for the last four minutes, South Korea's transport ministry said on Saturday. The black boxes record flight data and cockpit communications.
Last month, a Jeju Airplane crashed in South Korea, killing 179 people. It was the deadliest plane crash on South Korean soil. Only two people were rescued alive. Both were crew members.
Investigators hoped the recorders would provide insight into the crucial moments before the accident.
The ministry said it will analyze why the 'black box' recording stopped. Also added the recorders were originally tested and inspected in South Korea.
When it was discovered that the black boxes were missing the last four minutes of data, they were sent to the United States and examined by the country's safety regulators.
The plane was en route from Bangkok to South Korea on December 29. En route, it attempted an emergency landing at Muan International Airport in South Korea. While attempting to land, the plane skidded off the runway, hit a wall, and immediately caught fire.
Sim Jae-dong, a former accident investigator for South Korea's transport ministry, told Reuters that the lack of data for the crucial last four minutes was surprising. The lack of this data indicates that all power was cut off. Even the backup power source was turned off.
Many questions remain unanswered about the South Korean plane crash, with investigators trying to determine whether bird strikes or weather played a role.
The Jeju Airplane involved in the crash was a Boeing 737-800. The aircraft did not use its landing gear when it touched down on the runway.