(MENAFN- Live Mint) South Korean plane crash: The fatal Jeju Air plane crash in Muan on Sunday has dented South Korea's strong safety record. The air crash has left around 100 passengers dead and many others heavily injured.
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The nearly two-decade-old airline received an 'A' safety grade (which means 'very good') in the latest South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's annual review of domestic airlines, reported the New York Times. The airline released a public apology after the fatal accident on Sunday morning.
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The South Korean government awarded the airline a safety grade of A, which means 'very good', last year. The score is based on the number of accidents or near accidents. According to the system, an airline can receive the highest grade of A++ and the lowest grade of B+.
Investigation against Jeju Air for flying a defected plane in 2021
In 2021, Jeju Air faced an inquiry from South Korean authorities. The officials launched a probe against the airline after one of its planes flew despite having a defect, according to The Korea Herald.
The plane's wing suffered damage during landing in 2021. However, the crew somehow failed to notice the fault and the plane was deployed on another route. The incident garnered an investigation by the government in the matter. That year, the airline got a C for its safety, reported the Korea Herald.
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Hours after the fatal air crash, which is feared to have killed nearly everyone onboard except two, Jeju Air's CEO, Kim E-bae, took full responsibility for the accident.
"Regardless of the cause, I take full responsibility as the CEO," Kim said. The company, in its statement, said that“it will spare no effort to respond to the accident.”
"We are currently working to determine the exact cause and details of the situation," a company official said.
Jeju Air's plane burst in flames after landing in South Korea
The incident occurred at 9:07 am on Sunday when a Jeju Air flight made a rough landing after an unidentified glitch. However, the pilot failed to control the aircraft at the time of landing when its landing gear reportedly broke apart.
As a result, the flight veered off the runway during landing and struck a fence at Musan International Airport in Muan County, about 288 kilometres southwest of Seoul.
The plane, carrying 175 passengers and six crew members, was returning from Bangkok. The majority of passengers were South Korean nationals, with two Thai nationals also on board.
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