Jeju Air crash: Black boxes stopped recording before disaster
What's the story
The black boxes of the ill-fated Jeju Air flight stopped recording four minutes before the crash, South Korea's transport ministry has revealed.
The Boeing 737-800 was flying from Thailand to Muan in South Korea on December 29, when it belly-landed at Muan airport and exploded after hitting a concrete barrier.
The incident killed 179 people, making it the worst aviation disaster on South Korean soil.
Investigation progress
Unrecoverable flight data recorder sent to US for analysis
The transport ministry said, "The analysis revealed that both the CVR and FDR data were not recorded during the four minutes leading up to the aircraft's collision with the localiser."
The localiser, a barrier meant to help aircraft land, was blamed for making the crash worse.
The flight data recorder was found unrecoverable for data extraction by South Korean authorities, and sent to the US National Transportation Safety Board laboratory for analysis.
Ongoing probe
Investigation into Jeju Air crash continues
The cause of the data loss is being investigated as part of the ongoing accident inquiry.
Both Korean and US investigators are continuing to probe the crash's cause, which has led to national mourning with memorials set up across the country.
Potential issues being considered by investigators include a bird strike, faulty landing gear, and the runway barrier.
Crash details
Bird strike warning and failed landing gear under scrutiny
The pilot had warned of a bird strike before aborting an initial landing attempt.
The crash took place on a second attempt when the landing gear failed to deploy.
Lead investigator Lee Seung-yeol reported finding "feathers" in one of the plane's engines but claimed that a bird strike does not immediately cause engine failure.
Aftermath
Raids conducted, Jeju Air's CEO barred from leaving country
In the crash's aftermath, authorities have raided Muan airport, an aviation office in a southwestern city, and Jeju Air's office in Seoul.
Jeju Air's CEO has been barred from leaving the country.
Rival political parties have formed a joint task force to further investigate the incident.
Transport Minister Park Sang-woo offered his resignation, stating, "As the minister responsible for aviation safety, I feel a heavy sense of responsibility regarding this tragedy."