GIMPO: A Jeju Air flight that departed from Gimpo International Airport in South Korea was forced to return shortly after takeoff on Monday due to a landing gear issue similar to one that led to a fatal crash a day earlier. The aircraft, a Boeing B737-800, experienced a mechanical defect related to the landing gear, prompting the pilot to turn back as a precautionary measure, the airline reported.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Jeju Air Flight 7C101 took off at 6:37 a.m. bound for Jeju. It was carrying 161 passengers when the issue was detected soon after departure. The flight landed safely back at Gimpo International Airport at 7:25 a.m. following the captain's decision to return for a safety inspection.
Jeju Air officials informed the passengers about the mechanical defect and arranged for them to be transferred to an alternative aircraft of the same B737-800 model, which departed for Jeju at 8:30 a.m. However, 21 passengers chose not to reboard the aircraft due to concerns over safety.
Song Kyung-hoon, the head of Jeju Air's management support office, explained that the captain noticed a signal indicating a potential problem with the landing gear and communicated with ground control. "While the landing gear was confirmed to be functioning normally after additional measures, the captain decided to return to the airport for a safety check," Song stated during a press briefing.
The incident comes in the wake of a deadly crash involving the same aircraft model in the southwestern county of Muan on Sunday, which resulted in the loss of 179 lives. The crash is believed to have been caused by the failure of all three landing gears to operate correctly.
Jeju Air operates a fleet of 41 aircraft, 39 of which are B737-800 models, the same type involved in both the return flight and the fatal crash. The airline is conducting thorough inspections of its fleet following these incidents.