South Korea has banned Jeju Air chief executive Kim E-bae from leaving the country as authorities investigate the deadliest-ever air disaster on South Korean soil. The move comes amid a probe into the cause of the deadly crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216, which killed 179 people.
On Thursday, police conducted “search and seizure operations” at Jeju Air’s offices and airport in connection with the investigation. Aviation authorities have also extracted data from one of the aircraft’s black boxes and plan to send the other for analysis due to damage sustained during the crash.
The country is launching an inspection of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft in operation, as well as a wider probe into its entire airline operations. The acting president has called for immediate action if problems with the aircraft model are found.
Experts have raised several possible causes and contributing factors, including bird strikes, mechanical failure, and runway design issues. The crash occurred when the plane belly-landed on the runway without landing gear deployed, skidded into a concrete embankment, and exploded into flames.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities aiming to determine the cause and responsibility for the accident.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/2/south-korean-police-raid-airport-jeju-air-offices-after-deadly-crash