A preliminary investigation into the December crash of a South Korean plane that claimed 179 lives has identified traces of a bird strike on both engines, officials announced on Monday.
South Korean investigators revealed that feathers and blood stains from a baikal teal, a migratory duck primarily found in Siberia but wintering in East Asia, were discovered on the engines of the ill-fated Boeing 737-800.
The pilots had reported a bird strike moments before the plane crash-landed at Muan International Airport in Jeolla province, located 288 kilometers southwest of Seoul.
According to the report, both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder ceased recording approximately four minutes before the deadly impact. The cause of this technical failure remains unclear.
In the tragic incident, the plane skidded along the runway, collided with a concrete wall, and erupted into flames. Of the 181 passengers and crew aboard, only two crew members survived, while the rest, including two Thai nationals, were Korean citizens.
Investigators stated that the next phase of the investigation would involve dismantling the plane’s engines to conduct a detailed examination of their components.
