By Hyunjoo Jin and Jihoon Lee
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean police said on Thursday they raided Jeju Air and an employee at Muan International Airport as part of their investigation into Sunday's crash that killed 179 people in the country's deadliest air disaster.
Jeju Air 7C2216, flying from Thailand's capital Bangkok to Muan in southwestern South Korea, landed on its belly and overshot the runway of a regional airport, bursting into flames after hitting a wall.
Two crew members, who were seated at the tail end of the Boeing (NYSE: ) 737-800, were pulled alive by rescuers but were uninjured.
Police investigators are searching the offices of the airport operator and the aviation minister in the southwestern city of Muan, as well as Jeju Air's office in Seoul, police in South Jeolla province said in a news release.
Investigators plan to seize documents and items related to the operation and maintenance of the aircraft and the operation of the airport's facilities, a police official told Reuters.
A Jeju Air spokesperson said the airline is monitoring the situation. The company that operates the airport was not immediately available for comment.
Air safety experts' questions about what led to the deadly explosion centered on the ramp designed to support the aircraft's rigid steering gear and were too close to the end of the runway.
“This solid structure proved disastrous when the glider made an impact,” said Najmedin Meshkati, a professor of engineering at the University of Southern California, adding that the navigation antenna was mounted on “a monstrous concrete structure, instead of a floor. Metal tower/pylon installation”.
The investigation into the Jeju Air flight continues involving South Korean officials and the US Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the plane's manufacturer, Boeing.
It is not yet answered why the plane did not deploy its landing gear and what led the pilot to immediately attempt to land after telling air traffic control that the plane had been hit by birds and declared an emergency.
The plane's flight data recorder, which sustained some damage, is being flown to the United States for analysis in cooperation with the NTSB.
The conversion of data from the cockpit voice recorder to an audio file should be completed by Friday, Acting President Choi Sang-mok said, which could provide important information in the final minutes of the flight.
A transport department official said on Wednesday that it may be difficult to download the recorded files to the public as they will be important to the ongoing investigation.
Choi said at the crisis management meeting that immediate action should be taken if a special inspection of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated in the country finds any issues.
“Since there is great public concern about the same model of aircraft involved in the accident, the transport service and the relevant organizations should conduct a thorough inspection of maintenance, education and training,” said Choi.
Choi's comments at the start of the meeting were provided by his office.
Investigators from the NTSB, FAA and Boeing are in South Korea to assist with the investigation.
Choi asked that no effort be spared in helping the families of the victims as the remains of those killed are handed over to them. He also asked the police to take action against anyone posting “malicious” messages and fake news on social media related to the tragedy.