A day following the most catastrophic aviation disaster in South Korea’s history, Jeju Air announced that a flight originating from Seoul was compelled to return on Monday due to a malfunction with its landing gear.
The Boeing 737-800 involved in this recent incident was identical to the model of the Jeju Air aircraft that tragically crashed on Sunday, resulting in the loss of 179 lives.
Jeju Air Flight 7C101, which took off from Gimpo International Airport in Seoul en route to Jeju Island at approximately 6:37 AM, returned to Gimpo at 7:25 AM after a landing gear problem was identified shortly after departure, as reported by the South Korean airline.
“Shortly after takeoff, a signal indicating a landing gear issue was detected on the aircraft’s monitoring system,” stated Song Kyung-hoon, head of the management support office at Jeju Air, during a press conference.
“At 6:57 AM, the captain contacted ground control, and after implementing additional measures, the landing gear was restored to normal function. Nevertheless, the decision was made to return to the airport for a comprehensive inspection of the aircraft.”
Local news outlets indicated that 21 passengers opted not to board an alternative flight to Jeju, citing safety concerns and other reasons.
On Monday, the South Korean government announced plans to conduct a special inspection of all 101 Boeing 737-800 aircraft currently in service within the country, with the involvement of U.S. investigators, potentially including representatives from Boeing, in the investigation of the crash.
“We are considering plans to carry out a special inspection on B737-800 aircraft,” remarked Joo Jong-wan, head of the aviation policy bureau at the South Korean transport ministry.
Joo further noted that the government intends to “implement stringent aviation safety inspections in response to the (landing gear) incidents.”
In the crash that occurred on Sunday at Muan, the Boeing 737-800, which was transporting 181 individuals from Thailand to South Korea, issued a mayday call and executed a belly landing before colliding with a barrier and igniting into flames.
All passengers aboard Jeju Air Flight 2216 perished, with the exception of two flight attendants.
