Jeju Air Crash: U.S. Transportation Experts Join South Korea’s Investigation Efforts

According to a U.S. official on Monday, U.S. transportation safety officials would assist their South Korean counterparts in their investigation into the cause of a fatal Jeju Air jet accident that killed 179 people.

Jeju Air aircraft 7C2216 was belly-landing at Muan International Airport in Muan County, some 290 kilometers southwest of Seoul, when it drifted off the runway and struck a fence early on Sunday.

According to the Yonhap news agency, 179 passengers were killed in the Boeing 737-800 disaster, while two others were saved.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in an email statement to Yonhap News Agency that it has teamed up with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to assist South Korean investigators.

FAA communications officer Donnell Evans said that, the NTSB is in charge of a group of American investigators, including the FAA and Boeing, who are helping the Aviation and Railway Accident inquiry Board (ARAIB) of the Republic of Korea with their inquiry into the Dec. 29 Jeju Air incident. The involvement of U.S. officials was also verified by the South Korean administration.

During a press briefing, Joo Jong-wan, head of the aviation policy bureau at the South Korean transport ministry, stated that the U.S. NTSB has chosen to participate in the accident investigation and that talks are underway about Boeing and the engine manufacturer CFM International joining as well.

The flight data recorder that was retrieved from the aircraft earlier had been damaged, according to an official from South Korea's ARAIB, which is run by the nation's transport ministry.

According to the official, they could have to transmit it to the NTSB if they are unable to decode it here. It can take a long time because they have cases from all around the world to examine. The incident was the nation's deadliest aviation mishap since a Korean Air jet crashed in Guam in 1997, killing 225 people.