Jeju Air report sparks debate

[Anchor]

There is growing controversy over the conclusion of the accident investigation committee that the pilot of the Jeju Air passenger plane, which suffered a disaster, attempted to shut down the right engine that collided with a bird, but in reality, the left engine was the one that was off.

The bereaved families are demanding evidence, stating that it is premature to conclude pilot error based on only some recorded data.

Reporter Lee Ji-eun has the story.

[Report]

The disaster passenger plane that emitted flames and smoke from the right engine after colliding with a flock of birds.

At the moment of approaching the runway, heat is detected only from the right engine.

This is a circumstance that suggests the left engine was off.

The accident investigation committee confirmed that the pilot performed emergency procedures to shut down the right engine, which had sustained more damage, immediately after the bird strike.

It was a measure taken according to the manual to prevent a larger fire, and related circumstances were recorded on the cockpit voice recorder.

However, during the subsequent investigation, it was confirmed that the engine that was actually off was the left engine, not the right one.

The time it took for the engine to shut down after the bird strike was only 19 seconds.

The committee also determined that there was no inherent defect in the engine.

The investigation of the engine's black box, the ECC, found no signs of defects, and an analysis of the engine noise during the landing showed that more than 65% of normal power output remained, indicating that flight was still possible.

According to the committee's explanation, there is a possibility that the pilot mistakenly shut down the engine that was less damaged.

However, the committee did not disclose specific data to support this possibility.

They only explained that they confirmed it through the aircraft's black box and FDR records, but did not provide specific records that would indicate the engine status until the pilot shut down the left engine.

The bereaved families are demanding the release of the records, stating that it is premature to conclude pilot error based on only some content from the recording device.

[Kim Yoo-jin/Representative of the 12·29 Passenger Plane Disaster Bereaved Families Council: "We need them to present the evidence in a way that can persuade and convince us, but when we asked to see part of the report, they said that all of it was not allowed...."]

In particular, the investigation into the mound that exacerbated the damage has not yet been made public, reigniting controversy over the committee's investigation.

This is KBS News, Lee Ji-eun.