Seoul: A Jeju Air flight traveling from Seoul on Monday was forced to turn back due to a landing gear issue, according to the airline. This incident occurred just one day after South Korea's deadliest plane crash.
The aircraft involved in Monday's incident, a Boeing 737-800, was the same model as the Jeju Air plane that crashed on Sunday, resulting in 179 fatalities after it landed without its landing gear.
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Jeju Air Flight 7C101, which departed Seoul's Gimpo International Airport for Jeju island "at around 6:37 am, returned to Gimpo at 7:25 am" after a landing gear issue was detected shortly after takeoff, the South Korean airline said.
"Shortly after takeoff, a signal indicating a landing gear issue was detected on the aircraft's monitoring system," Song Kyung-hoon, head of the management support office at Jeju Air, told a news conference. "At 6:57 am, the captain communicated with ground control, and after taking additional measures, the landing gear returned to normal operation. However, the decision was made to return to the airport for a thorough inspection of the aircraft."
Local reports stated that 21 passengers opted not to board a replacement flight to Jeju, citing safety concerns and other reasons. Jeju Air operates a fleet of 41 planes, including 39 Boeing 737-800 models.
In response to the recent accidents, South Korea announced plans to conduct a special inspection of all 101 Boeing 737-800 aircraft operating in the country. US investigators, possibly including representatives from Boeing, are expected to assist with the investigation into the crash.
"We are reviewing plans to conduct a special inspection on B737-800 aircraft," said Joo Jong-wan, head of the aviation policy bureau at the South Korean transport ministry. Joo added that the government plans to "implement rigorous aviation safety inspections in response to the (landing gear) incidents".
The tragedy on Sunday involved a Boeing 737-800 that was flying from Thailand to South Korea, with 181 people on board. The plane made a mayday call before belly-landing and crashing into a barrier, causing a fire. While nearly all passengers perished, two flight attendants survived after being rescued from the wreckage.
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Published: 30 Dec 2024, 01:11 pm IST
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