Evidence shows Jeju Air pilots shut off less-damaged engine before crash, source says
The source said the evidence, including the cockpit voice recorder, computer data and a physical engine switch found in the wreckage showed pilots shut off the left engine instead of the right engine when taking emergency steps after a bird strike just before it was scheduled to land.
"The investigation team has clear evidence and backup data, so its finding will not change," the source told Reuters on condition of anonymity because investigators have not released an official report including this evidence.
A government source said examinations of the plane's recovered engines found that no defects had been present before the bird strike and crash.
The December 29 crash of the Boeing 737-800 jet at Muan Airport killed all but two of the 181 passengers and crew members on board and was the deadliest air disaster on South Korean soil.
Investigators told victims' family members at a briefing on Saturday that the right engine had been more severely damaged by a bird strike than the left, and there was circumstantial evidence that pilots had turned off the less-damaged left engine, according to a third source who was at the briefing.
South Korean media outlets including MBN and Yonhap reported that information on Saturday and Sunday.
South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB), which is leading the investigation, did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
Boeing referred questions about the crash to ARAIB. Engine maker CFM International, a joint venture between GE and France's Safran, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Jeju Air said it was actively cooperating with the ARAIB's investigation and awaiting the official announcement of the results.
Most air crashes are caused by multiple factors, and under international rules, a final report is expected within a year of an accident.
A preliminary report released in January said duck remains were found in both engines of the Jeju Air plane after the flight from Bangkok crashed at Muan Airport, but did not give details about the extent of remains or damage found in each engine.
OBJECTIONS FROM VICTIMS' FAMILIES
South Korea's investigation body on Saturday cancelled a planned release to media of an update on what is known so far about the engines.
Families of the crash victims were briefed on the report ahead of its planned release, but objected to its publication, saying that it appeared to apportion blame to the pilots without exploring other contributing factors, lawyers representing the families said.
The Jeju Air flight overshot Muan Airport's runway as it made an emergency belly landing and crashed into an embankment containing navigation equipment, leading to a fire and partial explosion.
Representatives of victims' families and the Jeju Air pilots' union said over the weekend that the investigation needs to also focus on the embankment, which aviation experts have said likely contributed to the high death toll.
The Jeju Air pilots' union said the ARAIB was "misleading the public" by suggesting there was no problem with the left engine given traces of bird remains were found in both engines.
The union accused the ARAIB of trying to make pilots "scapegoats" by failing to provide scientific and technological grounds that the plane could have landed safely with only the left engine turned on.
Air accidents are complex incidents that occur due to a number of contributing factors, and investigators have not produced evidence so far to support the implication that the accident was a result of pilot error, the union said.
Investigators are so far "silent about organisational responsibility", the union said.
A body representing bereaved families said in a statement there were some phrases related to the cause of the accident in the planned press release that could be interpreted as if a final conclusion had been reached, and all facts surrounding the incident must be clarified. REUTERS

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Straits Times
4 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Venezuela's lonely seniors find lifeline on the dance floor
CARACAS - In a bustling Caracas shopping mall, the sound of music and laughter signals another meeting of Club Tobias. This is no ordinary social club; it's a lifeline for Venezuelans aged over 60, many of whom live alone after their children and grandchildren emigrated. Angela Graterol, 93, is a regular. Three of her six children live abroad, one of whom encouraged her to join. She says dancing every Thursday brought her "back to life." "Music fills me up," she beams. "My feet just start moving on their own." Graterol is often joined by Juan Fuentes, a 90-year-old retired soldier whose daughter lives in Europe. He walks from his house, where he practices his favorite songs, writing down the lyrics he fears he might forget. Venezuela is home to an estimated 3.5 million seniors. Nearly 8 million of the country's citizens have left in recent years, according to the UN. "With migration, many of us seniors are left alone," says Zandra Pedraza, 77, who co-founded the club three years ago to combat loneliness among seniors. Club Tobias now has 15 locations. Co-founder Jose Rafael Quintana motivates everyone with a simple motto: "If you don't move, you seize up.' For Graterol, Fuentes, and hundreds of others, the club is more than just a place to dance; it's a vibrant community that proves a good time has no age limit. REUTERS Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Thailand, Cambodia agree to 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire' to de-escalate border row Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole backfilled; road to be repaved after PUB tests Singapore Foreign workers who rescued woman from sinkhole given tokens of appreciation Asia Gunman kills 5 security guards near Bangkok's Chatuchak market before taking own life Singapore COE quota up 2.6% to 18,701 for August to October Singapore Ong Beng Seng set to plead guilty on Aug 4 in case linked to ex-transport minister Iswaran Singapore HPB looking for vaping, smoking counselling services for up to 175 secondary school students Singapore Jail for former pre-school teacher who tripped toddler repeatedly, causing child to bleed from nose

Straits Times
4 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Pregnant in Kyiv, in the wreckage of apartment hit by Russian drone
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Bohdana Zhupanyna, a 30-year-old mother-to-be, stands inside of her apartment damaged by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 23, 2025. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko KYIV - Bohdana Zhupanyna had planned to use the last two weeks of her pregnancy in Ukraine brushing up on parenting skills and preparing for the arrival of her daughter. Instead, the 30-year-old found herself sifting through the charred remains of her second-floor apartment in Kyiv, wrecked in a Russian drone attack on July 21. "I don't know what kind of fate this is, why this happens, for what reason," she told Reuters, clutching her belly as daylight poured through a gaping hole that was once her living room. Around her, broken pieces of a couch and bed sat clumsily stacked, and once-sleek kitchen shelves were covered in shattered glass and dust. Ukrainians like Zhupanyna have endured months of worsening Russian air strikes that have killed dozens and upended daily lives since peace talks broke down last spring. On Monday, Russian forces unleashed a fresh wave of attacks involving hundreds of drones, wounding eight people in Kyiv as it continued grinding forward on the battlefield. Zhupanyna, who was elsewhere at the time of last week's attack, said she felt lucky that her mother was able to seek cover and emerge unscathed. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Thailand, Cambodia agree to 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire' to de-escalate border row Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole backfilled; road to be repaved after PUB tests Singapore Foreign workers who rescued woman from sinkhole given tokens of appreciation Asia Gunman kills 5 security guards near Bangkok's Chatuchak market before taking own life Singapore COE quota up 2.6% to 18,701 for August-October period Singapore Ong Beng Seng set to plead guilty on Aug 4 in case linked to ex-transport minister Iswaran Singapore HPB looking for vaping, smoking counselling services for up to 175 secondary school students Singapore Jail for former pre-school teacher who tripped toddler repeatedly, causing child to bleed from nose But a jagged piece of a Russian drone in her smartly designed bathroom serves as a grim reminder of the dangers she and millions of other Ukrainians face on a daily basis. "This is confirmation that they're attacking civilian places, specifically residential apartments," she said. Nearby, a metro station, businesses and other residential properties were also damaged. Moscow, which has killed thousands of civilians since its full-scale invasion in February 2022, denies intentionally targeting them but says it strikes civil infrastructure such as energy systems to degrade Ukraine's ability to fight. Ukraine has also targeted Russian cities with long-range weapons, though it has caused far more limited damage. U.S. President Donald Trump has cited the upsurge in attacks on Ukrainian civilians for a decision this month to resume shipments of weapons to Kyiv, including air defences. The Russians "have to stop killing us," said Zhupanyna, whose father was killed fighting at the front. "As for Trump, I would like him to simply help more." REUTERS
Business Times
4 minutes ago
- Business Times
Gunman kills five in Bangkok market before shooting himself
[BANGKOK] A gunman killed five people at a market in Thailand's capital Bangkok on Monday (Jul 28), attacking security guards and a merchant before fatally turning the gun on himself, a Thai police official said. The gunman initially killed three security guards, and then a fourth with whom he had a personal quarrel, Siam Bunsom, commander-in-chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau said. 'He reloaded and ran into the market, killing a female merchant and injuring another,' Siam told reporters. In video footage shared by police, a suspect in a white hat and a backpack slung on his chest is seen walking through a parking lot at the Or Tor Kor Market. Duangnapa Yeerunsiri, 38, who was at the market to buy groceries with her boyfriend and sister, was about to leave when she heard the shots ringing out. 'He fired many shots in rapid succession,' she said, referring to the gunman. 'So we ducked down in the car and quickly called the police.' BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up No tourists were killed or injured, said Sanong Saengmani, a police official in Bangkok's Bang Sue district, where the market, which mainly sells agricultural produce, is located. Tourism is a key economic driver in Thailand, South-east Asia's second-largest economy, where growth has been sluggish, and such incidents can potentially dampen sentiment. Gun violence and gun ownership are not uncommon in Thailand. In October 2023, a 14-year-old suspect used a modified handgun to kill two people and injure five others at a luxury mall in central Bangkok. A year earlier, a former police officer killed 36 people, including 22 children, in a gun-and-knife attack at a nursery in eastern Thailand. REUTERS