South Korea Plane Crash: What Can Be Done When Landing Gear Malfunctions?
Date
12/29/2024 6:18:44 AM
(MENAFN- Live Mint) A passenger plane burst into flames on Sunday after skidding off the runway and hitting a wall in South Korea. Preliminary reports indicate the landing gear malfunctioned and failed to deploy - potentially due to a bird strike. It was not immediately clear why the Boeing 737-800 jet could not use the multiple fail-safes built into modern aircrafts.
Footage of the crash aired by South Korean television channels showed the Jeju Air plane skidding across the airstrip at high speed - apparently with its landing gear still closed. It then drags on its belly before overrunning the runway and colliding head-on with a concrete wall on the outskirts of the facility. The impact triggered an explosion with local TV stations airing footage that showed thick plumes of black smoke and flames billowing from the plane.
Social media users and former pilots have raised several questions about the incident - with many noting that landing gear failure only happened in case there was 'catastrophic structural damage'. Investigators are currently examining bird strikes and weather conditions as possible factors for the malfunction.
A report by The EurAsian Times also noted that the pilots did not try to execute a 'gear-up landing'. Such a scenario however requires advance preparation - from spreading foam on the runway to prior deployment of firefighters and paramedics. Speculative posts have also broached the possibility that Flight 2216 may have lost communication with air traffic control in those crucial moments. Many have also questioned the high speed of the plane while landing on a runway less than 3 km long.
It was not immediately clear whether the belly landing was planned or cleared with authorities as it did not follow exisiting protocol. Firefighters were not in position near the runway when the plane touched down and its trajectory shows the jet did not circle before attempting a belly landing. The manouever is considered something of a last-ditch attempt and planes hit by technical malfunctions typically circle the airport as the pilots try to work out a solution.
(With inputs from agencies)
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