Jeju Air Crash: Last 4 Minutes of Black Box Data Missing
Two black boxes on the Boeing jet involved in the worst aviation disaster on South Korean soil stopped recording about four minutes before the accident.
South Korean investigators previously said the flight data and cockpit voice recorders were key to finding out the cause of last month’s crash that killed 179 people.
It happened about four minutes after the airliner pilot operated by Jeju Air reported a bird strike.
Authorities investigating the crash plan to analyze what caused the black boxes to stop recording.
The voice recorder was initially analyzed in South Korea, and, when data was found to be missing, sent to a U.S. National Transportation Safety Board laboratory.
Black box recorders collect data on communications involving pilots in the cockpit as well as how the aircraft systems perform in-flight.
Jeju Air 7C2216, which departed the Thai capital Bangkok for Muan in southwestern South Korea, belly-landed and overshot the regional airport’s runway on Dec. 29, exploding into flames after hitting an embankment.
Only two people survived – crew members who were sitting in the tail section.
