Seoul: An investigation into last December's Jeju Air plane crash has found that the aircraft's pilot mistakenly shut down the wrong engine, local media reported. The release of the report, scheduled for over the weekend, has been delayed following heated protests from the families of the victims, who have expressed strong dissatisfaction with the findings.
According to BBC, the families had been briefed on the investigation's outcome earlier and accused the investigators of unfairly placing the blame solely on the pilot while ignoring other contributing factors that may have led to the crash. The investigation, conducted by South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board, highlighted that the pilot erroneously turned off the left engine, which had no defects, instead of the right engine that was more severely damaged by a bird strike.
However, the victims' families argued that the investigation report neglected to mention the presence of a concrete barrier at the end of the runway, which they believe exacerbated the severity of the accident. "The bereaved families seek a fair and transparent investigation into the accident," they said in a statement, urging investigators to conduct a press briefing "only after a full and careful examination has been completed."
In a statement on Sunday, the Jeju Air pilots union echoed the families' concerns, criticizing the investigation's findings for allegedly concentrating on the pilot's misjudgment while downplaying other potential factors. A source familiar with the probe, however, told Reuters that the investigators stand by their findings, citing "clear evidence and backup data."
In response to the crash, South Korea's transport ministry announced in January that it would remove concrete barriers at seven airports. Meanwhile, in May, the families of the victims lodged a criminal complaint against Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae, citing professional negligence. Mr. Kim is among 24 individuals currently under police investigation regarding their roles in the tragic accident.