If I was to guess, they were pre-occupied with the failing engine, thought they had their gear down after the go-around and realized too late, tried to go around for a second time, but with reverse thrusters deployed couldn’t get airborne again.
It’s about the only scenario that makes any sort of sense to me.
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Perhaps the bird strike caused an engine fire that rapidly spread and took out electronics and hydraulics. There are far too many questions though at this stage and it just doesn’t make much sense at the minute.
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According to airport authorities, the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 likely experienced a bird strike which caused its landing gear to malfunction, Korean outlet Yonhap News Agency reported.
The South Korean plane was warned about birds being in the area and told to change landing runways to avoid a bird strike.
Just a minute later, the pilot made a mayday call to the control tower, according to the Land Ministry.
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A bird strike alone won’t take out the landing gear which is why I think it was an engine fire that took it out. That would possibly explain why a fuel dump wasn’t performed and emergency services didn’t have time to spray the runway. The noxious fumes were probably present in the cabin which also made the decision to land immediately much more necessary
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South Korea’s Jeju Air crash: The most pressing questions facing investigators
Richard de Crespigny
Former Qantas pilotDecember 30, 2024 — 3.37pmTen years after Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared, when people ask me what happened, my answer remains: “I don’t know, and it’s a sign of strength to admit you don’t know.” Assumptions and speculation create unrealistic expectations and needless anguish. A single, accurate data point can dismantle the most elaborate theories, underscoring the importance of patience and evidence.
So it is with Jeju Air Flight 2216, which tragically crashed in South Korea on Sunday, claiming 179 lives. I do not know what happened inside the aircraft.
Only two flight attendants, seated at the rear of the Boeing 737-800, survived. These seats are the safest in a head-on crash, which is why we can expect the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, located at the back of the aircraft, to be intact and reveal facts about what happened during this crisis.
I was piloting Qantas Flight 32 in 2010 when an engine failed soon after take-off from Singapore. We landed safely with none of the 469 passengers and crew injured. However, the world immediately erupted with misinformation, flawed analysis and false deductions. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau made the courageous decision to publish the facts immediately, quelling conspiracy theories and inaccurate deductions. While the US National Transportation Safety Board initially criticised this approach, it eventually adopted a similar strategy following the Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash in San Francisco, which killed three and injured about 200 people. Transparency builds teamwork and trust, and enables constructive learning from tragedy.
I expect the investigators in the Jeju Air tragedy to answer the following questions:
Was there a bird strike? Videos show a right engine event. If a bird strike occurred, to what extent was that engine and its associated systems compromised?
Why did the transponder fail? The aircraft’s ADS-B transponder, which broadcasts data including location, speed, and altitude twice per second, ceased transmissions shortly after the engine event. What caused this failure?
Why were the landing gear and flaps not deployed? The aircraft turned northward before attempting a reciprocal approach to land. However, it landed with both the landing gear and flaps up. Did the ground proximity warning system issue the “too low gear” warning?
Why did the aircraft touch down so late along the runway? It touched down in the latter half of the 2900-metre runway, leaving insufficient distance to stop. I think this approach suggests the pilot may have assumed the landing gear to be down. However, the landing gear was up, and so the aircraft “floated”, decelerating slowly in what’s called “ground-effect”, which acts like a cushion close to the ground and led to a late touchdown.
Did the pilots attempt to take off again before reaching the end of the runway? Videos show the left engine airborne before the runway’s end. Perhaps they did attempt to take off.
Fear Response? Were the pilots affected by the fear response – fight, flight or freeze? The amygdala in our brain triggers this response within 20 milliseconds of sensing threats, releasing adrenaline and cortisol, which supercharge our cells, increase our breathing and heart rates, and tense our muscles to be ready to fight – all of which impair precise actions.
To avoid the disastrous effects of the fear response, pilots are trained to “aviate, navigate, communicate”. This is critical in the first 30 seconds. Aviate – fly the aircraft (and keep it in the air), stay alive. Navigate – find a safe place in the air to consider your next steps. Then communicate – tell others the situation, your plans and requirements. Those actions keep you safe from the fear response while waiting those 30 seconds for the brain’s cortex (with its habits, intuitions and reasoning) to slowly come online.
Did the pilots hear critical warnings? The human brain monitors 4 million senses using just 20 watts of power. It runs five times faster than the latest Nvidia Blackwell processor using just 1 per cent of the chip’s power. It achieves this monumental feat by load-shedding unnecessary senses.
The brain sheds non-essential sensory input when overloaded, with sound being the first to shed. Why is this important? Did the pilots fail to hear and respond to the “too low gear” warning or other ground proximity warning system alerts?
Was the cockpit crew an effective team? Team dynamics play a crucial role in aviation safety. No individual is infallible – mistakes are part of the human condition. This is why effective teams have pilots accomplishing their tasks while monitoring the tasks of others. It is essential that all pilots have the responsibility, authority and psychological safety to challenge one another, regardless of rank.
In cultures with high “power distance” – a measure of hierarchical deference identified by Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede – subordinates may hesitate to correct their superiors. This dynamic contributed to accidents such as Korean Air Flight 801 (1997) and Asiana Airlines Flight 214 (2013). Did a similar dynamic affect Jeju Air Flight 2216?
The aircraft exploded when it crashed into a concrete barrier beyond the end of the runway. Was that barrier necessary? The 2900-metre runway at Muan airport is long enough for continuous 737 operations. The instrument landing system localiser radio transmitters sit atop a high concrete-earth mound, 290 metres after the end of the runway. While it is not ideal to have a hard antenna structure, this is clear of the 240-metre runway safety area required by the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s runway specifications.
Were proper procedures followed? Did the crew adhere to established procedures, and were those procedures fit for purpose?
Learning from tragedy: We will have to wait for the investigative authorities to release facts before drawing conclusions about this heartbreaking event. Until then, speculation serves no one. Instead, we must focus on asking the right questions, identify all contributing factors and then learning and adjusting from the findings, so that this type of disaster never happens again.
Boeing 737-800: This is a safe and successful aircraft. More than 7100 have been built since 1996, for commercial aviation (until 2020) and still for the military today. The 737-800 has no links connecting it to the problems besetting the newer 737 Max derivatives.
Aviation remains the safest form of transport: Aviation is the safest form of transportation. Not a single person died in a commercial jet accident in 2023. And no one goes to work intending to have an accident. We will learn from Jeju Air Flight 2216, identifying all contributing factors, and implement changes to prevent a recurrence. This relentless pursuit of continuous improvement is why flying remains the safest way to travel.
Captain Richard Champion de Crespigny was an A380 captain and the pilot in command of Qantas flight QF32 that suffered an engine failure over Singapore on November 4, 2010. He is the author of two books, QF32 and FLY! – The Elements of Resilience.
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Very interesting point that he raises about whether the pilot thought the landing gear was down.
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Virgin on the illegal…
Only hearsay at the minute. Virgin can’t comment whilst it’s under investigation and has put a gag order on staff.
There has been chatter of a sexual assault against staff members who went out to party in town on their overnight stay but nothing concrete or no statements as yet
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Fiji police have confirmed they are investigating allegations of theft and sexual assault in relation to an incident that unfolded after the plane touched down at Nadi International Airport on Tuesday, as reported by local media.
The nation’s acting police commissioner Juki Fong Chew has said it occurred during a night out, according to newspaper The Fiji Sun.
“We confirm police are investigating the Australian airline crew case as they were (alleged) victims of theft and of allegations of sexual assault after clubbing,” Mr Chew said.
It is understood police are considering locals as suspects.
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Cessna Caravan 208 VH-WTY
Has a history of crashing, interesting, it was written off after the last one.
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Looks like the regular Perth / Rottnest passenger service.
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Not the same aircraft, same rego, same type, it was the replacement for the first one, I assume that’s why the rego is the same.
Seems to have crashed on takeoff, two women seriously injured, rescue continues.
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From the footage I’ve seen looks looks like he clips the rocks just as he’s getting airborne.
3 rescued, 3 missing.
3 missing confirmed as dead.
The WA Premier, Roger Cook, begins the press conference by confirming three people died in the crash.
“The bodies of the three deceased were recovered from the wreckage by Water Police divers last night,” Mr Cook said.
He said they included a 65-year-old woman believed to be a Swiss tourist, a 60-year-old man believed to be a tourist from Denmark, and the 34-year-old pilot of the aircraft who is from Perth.
“My thoughts go out to the families and friends of the victims,” he said.
It does look like pilot error and he has possibly stalled. He only had the aircraft for a couple of days but that should cause issues
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The Jeju investigation just became very difficult with news that both CVR and FDR stopped recording 4 minutes before the crash.
Unfortunately we may never know what really happened
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