Bird feathers found in engines of crashed South Korean jet

Investigators say they have found evidence of a bird collision with a passenger plane that crashed in South Korea last December, killing 179 people.

The feathers and bloodstains on both engines of the Jeju Air plane were from Baikal ducks, a type of migratory duck that exists in large flocks, according to a preliminary investigation report published Monday.

The investigation into the accident – the deadliest on South Korean soil – will now focus on the role of the bird collision and the concrete structure at the end of the runway into which the plane crashed.

The report said that the engines of the Boeing 737-800 plane will be demolished and the concrete structure will be examined further.

The Jeju Air plane took off from Bangkok on the morning of December 29 and was headed to Muan International Airport in the southwest of the country.

At approximately 08:57 local time, three minutes after the pilots contacted the airport, the control tower advised the crew to be alert for “bird activity.”

At 08:59 the pilot reported that the plane had struck a bird and issued a distress signal.

The pilot then requested permission to land from the opposite direction, during which time he landed without using his landing gear. The report said that the plane overshot the runway and exploded after colliding with the concrete structure.

Authorities previously said flight data and cockpit voice recorders were recovered from the plane Stop recording About four minutes before the disaster struck.

Experts who flew the same type of aircraft involved in the crash also questioned the presence of concrete barriers along the runway – with some suggesting that the number of casualties would have been lower if they had not been there.

The concrete structure contains a navigation system that helps planes land, known as the “local position.”

The South Korean Ministry of Transport said that this system can also be found at other airports in the country and even abroad.

The authorities announced last week that they would do so Changing the concrete barriers used for navigation At seven airports across the country. The runway safety zones of seven airports will also be modified after the review.

The preliminary report has been submitted to the United Nations Aviation Agency and to the authorities of the United States, France and Thailand.