On Monday, a Jeju Air flight from Seoul had to turn back after detecting a landing gear malfunction, only a day after South Korea witnessed its deadliest plane crash in years. I know, you’re probably wondering, what on earth is going on with air travel these days? Because I am too.
This latest incident involved a Boeing 737-800, the same model as the doomed Jeju Air flight that tragically killed 179 people on Sunday after attempting to land without its landing gear deployed. Flight 7C101 took off from Gimpo International Airport at 6:37 AM and, less than 30 minutes later, the onboard system detected a landing gear issue.
Despite temporary fixes midair, the captain decided to return to Gimpo for what was vaguely referred to as a “thorough inspection.” But why didn’t they try that before the plane took off.
At 7:25 AM, the plane landed back in Seoul safely, but not without rattling passengers. Local media reported that 21 passengers outright refused to board an alternative flight, citing safety concerns. Can you blame them? Life has no duplicate.
South Korea’s transport ministry announced plans to inspect all 101 Boeing 737-800 aircraft operating in the country. This “special inspection,” which may involve investigators from Boeing itself, seems like a band-aid solution slapped on too late. “We are reviewing plans to conduct a special inspection,” said Joo Jong-wan of the aviation policy bureau.
Sunday’s disaster saw Jeju Air Flight 2216, carrying 181 passengers and crew from Thailand, belly-land after a landing gear failure, crash into a barrier, and erupt in flames. Only two flight attendants survived, pulled miraculously from the wreckage. The rest, 179 souls, weren’t lucky.
A plane crash one day, a landing gear failure the next, at this rate, the skies may soon be just as feared as the roads.
