Jeju air crash: Flight data recorder to be sent to US for analysis  

South Korean authorities will send the flight data recorder from the Jeju Air crash to the United States for further examination after determining it cannot be analysed locally. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport announced Wednesday that the damaged device will be transferred in coordination with the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).  

The recorder, retrieved from the wreckage at Muan International Airport, suffered external damage, including a missing connector that links the data storage unit to its power source. Joo Jong-wan, director of the ministry’s aviation policy division, stated, “We have determined that extracting data from the damaged flight data recorder here is not possible. And so we have agreed with the NTSB to send it to the US and analyse it there.”  

A US investigative team arrived in South Korea on Monday and joined the ministry-led investigation at the crash site the following day. Initial findings centred on a navigation aid called a localizer, which helps with aircraft landings. The device, installed on a concrete structure, is being scrutinized for potentially worsening the crash's impact.  

The tragedy, which occurred on December 29 morning, saw a Jeju Air B737-800 jet carrying 175 passengers and six crew members belly-land and explode after veering off the runway at Muan International Airport. The aircraft’s landing gear failed to deploy, causing it to skid into a concrete barrier before bursting into flames.  

Authorities have confirmed that 179 people lost their lives, with only two survivors rescued. The investigation aims to uncover the causes behind the crash, focusing on both the flight recorder and airport infrastructure.