On December 29th, 179 people died in a plane crash at Muan Airport in South Korea during landing. This incident has been described as the country’s worst ‘air disaster’ in history. In response to the severity of the crash, Seoul has ordered the installation of bird detection cameras and radars at all airports in the country.
Currently, airports in Incheon, Gimpo, Gimhae, and Jeju have such cameras. The authorities are planning to install this system at all airports to prevent future accidents.
Civil Aviation Deputy Minister, Ju Jung-Wan, stated that a comprehensive plan has been implemented to prevent the recurrence of such accidents. Special inspection operations will be conducted at the airports for this purpose.
In a statement, South Korea’s Ministry of Land said that at least one thermal imaging camera will be installed at every airport. This initiative is part of the airport security process. Additionally, surveys will be conducted at locations that are particularly attractive to birds.”
“Additionally, to keep medium and large-sized birds away from airports, ‘mobile sonic devices’—a technology for bird repulsion—will be used.
The statement mentions that radars will be installed at all airports for bird detection, enabling the early identification of distant birds and improving the aircraft’s response capability. These radars will identify the size and movement of the birds, and the information will be sent to air traffic controllers. Based on that, they will guide the pilots.
The Jeju Air Boeing 737-800, carrying 181 passengers, was traveling from Thailand to Muan, South Korea. Upon landing at Muan Airport, the plane caught fire and exploded. The pilot had issued a collision warning with a bird before attempting the first landing. During the second landing attempt, the aircraft crashed when the landing gear failed to deploy.”
Liberty News international correspondent reports that bird feathers were found in both engines of the Jeju Air flight, indicating a bird strike that likely caused the accident. The Ministry of Transport has stated that the investigation has become more complex, as the black box of the crashed flight stopped recording four minutes before the incident. As a result, investigators from both South Korea and the United States are still examining the cause of the accident.
LND/SAKIB
