The flight data and cockpit voice recorders on the Jeju Air jet that crashed at South Korea’s Muan airport stopped recording about four minutes before the aircraft hit a concrete structure, killing 179 people. Authorities are investigating why the “black boxes” stopped recording and have sent them to the U.S. for analysis. The pilots declared an emergency after a reported bird strike, attempted a go-around, but ultimately crash-landed without landing gear deployed. The investigation will also look into the design of the embankment that the aircraft hit. Some families of the victims have called for independent experts to be involved in the investigation, questioning the transparency of the transport ministry’s role. The missing data from the final crucial minutes of the flight suggests a complete power failure, a rare occurrence. The ministry has vowed to ensure a transparent investigation and share information with the victims’ families.
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