[News Today] “CONCRETE WALL NEAR RUNWAY CULPRIT”

[LEAD]
Another element, the localizer, crucial for guiding instrument landings, is under scrutiny as one of the main reasons. Here's more.

[REPORT]
This is the satellite image of the southern end of the Muan International Airport runway taken in September.

Not far from the end of the runway stands a structure.

It's a localizer, a safety system that guides the landing.

In this photo taken before the accident, the localizer is seen inside the walls that mark the airport boundary.

A concrete structure protrudes from a dirt mound and antennas are installed on top of the structure.

It measures about four meters in height altogether.

But only the structure's rubble remains after the accident.

After issuing the distress signal, the Jeju Air flight enterered the runway 180 degrees turned around the intended landing direction.

Unable to slow down, the aircraft overran the runway and exploded after crashing into the localizer structure.

The concrete mount was standing 264 meters from the end of the runway and the wall was 59 meters further behind.

Experts claim that if it were not for the solid concrete structure beyond the runway, the plane could have perhaps lessened the damage after skidding a little more and eventually stopping on an empty, open field.

Prof. Song Byung-heum / Korea Aerospace University
Localizer antennas are stipulated in the law to break like malleable sorghum straws in a crash. A collision may leave some damage, but minimal. There are airports in Korea, abroad that have concrete support structures, but there is no need.

Furthermore, overseas experts point to the structure as the decisive cause of the tragedy, saying that such a structure shouldn't have been erected in that location.

Geoffrey Thomas / Aviation Industry Commentator, Airline News Editor
I haven't done the research, but I would say it absolutely contravenes international standards to have that wall in. No question about it.

Japan in 2015, an Asiana Air flight veered off the runway and crashed into the antennas, but the accident didn't cause any deaths since there was no solid structure in front of the runway.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation said more investigation is needed to determine how much of the accident was due to the localizer.