Did Pilots Shut Down Wrong Engine Before Deadly Korean Plane Crash?
The shutdown likely led to a loss of electrical power and the removal of the aircraft's main source of thrust, hampering the pilots' ability to land, according to a person familiar with the investigation.
With limited electrical power, the aircraft tried to land without its landing gear down. The plane slid on its belly, slammed into a concrete wall at the end of the runway and burst into flames. Two flight attendants survived. All passengers and other crew members were killed.
The latest findings, some of which were included in an official interim report shown to families of the victims on Saturday, have increased scrutiny of how the pilots handled the emergency landing after the plane was struck by the birds, damaging both engines. Experts in the United States said it raised the possibility that the pilots misidentified the engine that needed to be shut down, although they cautioned that it was too early to draw such conclusions.
Seoul
SOUTH
KOREA
8:58:26 a.m.
The plane was
hit by birds.
Muan
8:58:45 a.m.
The pilots shut down
the left engine.
Path of Jeju Air
flight on Dec. 29
8:58:50 a.m.
The plane stopped
recording data.
9:02:57 a.m.
The plane crashed into a
concrete wall past the runway.
The plane turned around and
landed in the opposite direction
without its landing gear lowered.
Exact path of
turn unknown
N
MUAN
INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT
0.3 mile
Seoul
SOUTH
KOREA
8:58:26 a.m.
The plane was hit by birds.
Muan
8:58:45 a.m.
The pilots shut down
the left engine.
8:58:50 a.m.
The plane stopped
recording data.
Path of Jeju Air
flight on Dec. 29
MUAN
INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT
9:02:57 a.m.
The plane crashed into a
concrete wall past the runway.
The plane turned around and
landed in the opposite direction
without its landing gear lowered.
Exact path of
turn unknown
N
0.5 mile
Seoul
SOUTH
KOREA
8:58:26 a.m.
The plane was hit by birds.
Muan
8:58:45 a.m.
The pilots shut down
the left engine.
8:58:50 a.m.
The plane stopped
recording data.
Path of Jeju Air
flight on Dec. 29
MUAN
INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT
9:02:57 a.m.
The plane crashed into a
concrete wall past the runway.
Exact path of
turn unknown
The plane turned around and
landed in the opposite direction
without its landing gear lowered.
N
0.3 mile
Seoul
8:58:26 a.m.
The plane was hit by birds. and
both engines appeared
affected.
SOUTH
KOREA
Muan
8:58:45 a.m.
The pilots shut down
the left engine.
8:58:50 a.m.
The plane stopped
recording data.
Path of Jeju Air
flight on Dec. 29
MUAN
INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT
9:02:57 a.m.
The plane crashed into a
concrete wall past the runway.
The plane turned in the air,
then landed on the runway
without its landing gear lowered.
Exact path of
turn unknown
N
0.5 mile
Sources: Korea Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board; Korea Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport; aerial image by Airbus via Google Earth
By Agnes Chang
'If the pilots lost their displays after the bird strike, they may have had no clear indication of which engine was damaged,' said Joe Jacobsen, an aviation safety expert who has worked at both Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration. He emphasized the need for detailed cockpit data before drawing conclusions.
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