No belly landing marks found on Muan Airport runway after crash, suggesting lift remained until impact
A vehicle is seen on the runway in the ground security area of Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province. Korea Times photo by Hong In-kie
New photos have raised fresh questions about the Jeju Air crash that killed 179 people in December, showing no visible signs of a belly landing on the Muan International Airport runway where the aircraft was reported to have touched down.
Officials also confirmed that no runway repairs have been carried out since the accident.
While the aircraft's collision with a localizer mound, part of the airport's navigation system, remains the primary cause of the massive loss of life, experts say signs that the aircraft maintained lift until impact could become a key variable in determining the exact circumstances of the crash.
According to documents Rep. Son Myoung-soo of the Democratic Party of Korea received from the Korea Airports Corporation, no runway repairs were made following the Dec. 29 disaster.
“Joint inspections by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board on Jan. 7, and a special inspection by the Busan Regional Aviation Administration on Feb. 10, found no significant runway damage,” the corporation said.
The runway at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province is seen in this photo taken by the Korea Airports Corporation shortly after the Jeju Air crash. Two black streaks, believed to have been caused by the plane’s twin engines scraping the ground, are clearly visible. These marks are no longer present on the runway. Courtesy of Rep. Son Myoung-soo of the Democratic Party of Korea
Photos of the runway taken immediately after the crash and obtained by the Hankook Ilbo show no visible marks at the spot near the center of the runway where the aircraft was initially believed to have made its first contact during the belly landing.
The Jeju Air aircraft is believed to have touched down near the midpoint of the runway, around the 1,200-meter mark, after its total length was reduced from 2,800 meters to 2,500 meters due to renovation work.
Landing closer to localizer
The absence of visible damage in this area suggests the aircraft may have touched down closer to the localizer. In other photos taken immediately after the crash, two black streaks — likely made by the engines mounted under each wing — are clearly visible near the localizer structure.
However, during an on-site observation conducted Saturday, just two days before the 100th day since the crash, no significant marks were visible on or near the runway.
“The black streaks seem to have faded over time due to rain and exposure," a Muan Airport official said.
Current and former pilots speculate that the lack of runway damage, despite a gear-up landing, suggests the aircraft maintained significant lift.
“The lift keeping the plane aloft must have been intact until the very end,” said one retired captain with 18,000 flight hours.
“The fact that no black box data exists for the four minutes leading up to the crash suggests both engines likely shut down. In such a case, the priority would have been to glide the aircraft to the runway," he said. "With lift still present, the aircraft wouldn’t have slowed significantly, and its weight may not have fully pressed down on the ground.”
The midsection of the runway at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, photographed by the Korea Airports Corporation shortly after the Jeju Air crash, shows no visible damage at the reported belly landing site. Courtesy of Rep. Son Myoung-soo
Regarding the retracted landing gear, he added, “There might not have been enough time to manually lower a malfunctioning gear, or the pilot may have intentionally kept it up to reduce drag and maintain lift.”
Another retired pilot with 30 years of experience said, “On the Boeing 737-800, the engines touch down first if the landing gear isn’t deployed. If they hit the ground hard, they can explode. The pilot likely focused on landing as smoothly as possible, which would have made deceleration difficult.”
However, pilots were hesitant to comment on why the aircraft’s nose remained elevated after touching down, saying that would need to be determined through the investigation.
According to a preliminary report released by the accident board on Jan. 27, the plane was still flying at 298 kilometers per hour with roughly 2 kilometers of runway left.
“I personally inspected the accident site last month and saw no major runway damage,” Son said. “A more detailed analysis is needed to determine the exact cause of the crash.”
Identifying the cause and holding those responsible is expected to take time. The investigation board is currently analyzing the aircraft with Boeing and the French engine manufacturer while reconstructing the sequence of events using communication records.
In February, the board estimated the investigation would take between one year and 18 months.
A bereaved family member cries while laying flowers at a memorial altar during a ceremony marking 100 days since the Jeju Air crash at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province. Korea Times photo by Hong In-kie
The police investigation has also seen limited progress. “We’ve questioned more than 50 people, including Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae, but no one has been formally charged. We must wait for the investigation board’s findings and the National Forensic Service’s detailed analysis before we can draw meaningful conclusions," a spokesperson from the South Jeolla Provincial Police said.
Meantime, the legal support group for the Jeju Air victims, made up of lawyers from Gwangju and South Jeolla Province, held a press conference on Monday to demand a thorough and transparent investigation into the cause of the crash, according to Newsis and other outlets.
The event marked exactly 100 days since the Jeju Air flight from Bangkok crash-landed without its landing gear at Muan International Airport, killing 179 of the 181 people on board. It was the deadliest passenger plane crash in Korea’s history.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.