A mysterious plane crash in South Korea has uncovered DNA from migratory ducks on both engines, raising new questions about the incident. The preliminary report states that scientists found bird remains inside both engines of the Jeju Air jet, though no immediate cause for the fatal crash has been determined yet. The flight recorders stopped working just before the pilots made an emergency landing and declared “Go Around,” leaving investigators with limited clues.
Experts note that air crashes are often caused by a combination of factors, including mechanical failure or bird strikes. In this case, though, the black boxes stopped recording 4 minutes before impact, leaving little data to analyze. The plane was flying at low altitude near the runway when the engines’ data shut down.
The report also mentions that new safety measures on U.S.-built planes provide backup power for up to 10 minutes in case of failure, but this didn’t apply to the Jeju Air jet since it left Korean production eight months prior. The investigation is set to examine the engines, flight data, and the surrounding area to determine the cause.
This rare discovery adds a unique angle to one of South Korea’s deadliest air disasters, with experts warning that such incidents are often linked to other contributing factors beyond bird strikes alone.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-korea-reports-initial-findings-jeju-air-crash-icao-us-thailand-2025-01-26