Chaos in the Cockpit: The Devastating Jeju Air Crash and the Mystery of Mechanical Failure

The tragic crash of Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 at Muan International Airport has become South Korea’s deadliest aviation disaster, claiming 179 lives. As investigators work to uncover the root causes, a complex web of potential factors—including a bird strike, mechanical failures, and pilot response under stress—has emerged.

Key Facts About the Crash

• Flight Details: Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 with 175 passengers and six crew members.
• Crash Site: Muan International Airport, South Korea.
• Fatalities: 179 dead; two survivors found in the tail section.
• Cause: Preliminary reports suggest a bird strike and landing gear failure.

What Happened?

The aircraft reportedly collided with birds during its approach. Shortly after, the right engine caught fire, and pilots issued a Mayday call. Video evidence shows the plane belly-landing without its landing gear deployed, skidding into a concrete barrier before erupting in flames.

Analyzing Potential Causes

Bird Strike: A Triggering Event

• Engine Damage: The bird strike likely caused engine failure, with reports of fire in the right engine.
• Hydraulic Systems: While bird strikes rarely disable hydraulic systems entirely, debris or damage could have disrupted them. The Boeing 737-800’s redundant systems make total hydraulic failure improbable.

Landing Gear Failure

• Mechanical Issues: Investigators are probing why landing gear could not be manually lowered. Gravity extension is typically an emergency fallback.
• Human Error: Amid multiple alarms from the engine fire and other systems, it’s possible warnings about the landing gear were overlooked due to task saturation.

Pilot Actions Under Stress

Pilots reportedly attempted a go-around but failed due to reduced thrust and time constraints. Experts speculate that cascading failures overwhelmed their ability to follow standard emergency protocols.

Runway and Infrastructure Design

The plane collided with a concrete barrier at the runway’s end. Experts argue that an Engineered Materials Arrestor System (EMAS) could have mitigated damage but was absent at Muan Airport.

Speculative Theories

• Electrical Malfunction: ADS-B data transmission ceased after the Mayday call, hinting at possible electrical issues beyond the bird strike.
• Task Saturation: Multiple alarms may have overwhelmed pilots, leading to critical oversights like missing gear deployment warnings.

Survivability Factors

The two survivors were located in the tail section—a common area for higher survival rates in crashes. However, fire and toxic gases severely limited evacuation success.

Unresolved Questions

1. Why did the landing gear fail to deploy?
2. Could better runway safety measures have reduced fatalities?
3. Did pilot stress contribute to missed warnings or checklist errors?
4. Was there a connection between engine failure and hydraulic system malfunction?

Next Steps in Investigation

Authorities are analyzing flight recorders to reconstruct events and determine whether mechanical failures or human error played a larger role. Additionally:

• South Korea will inspect all Boeing 737-800s in operation.
• Regulatory reviews may push for EMAS installations at high-risk airports.

Conclusion

While the bird strike initiated this tragic sequence, cascading failures—mechanical, procedural, and infrastructural—likely compounded its severity. The investigation will provide critical insights into preventing such disasters in the future while highlighting the ongoing risks posed by bird strikes to aviation safety.