The runway used by the ill-fated Jeju Air flight 7C2216 in Sunday's deadly plane crash was shorter than the runways at Seoul-area commercial airports, leading to speculation that the shorter landing area may have contributed to the aircraft overshooting the runway, resulting in the accident that left at least 151 dead as of 4:49 p.m.
Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province has a main runway that is 2,800 meters long, which is significantly shorter than the ones at Incheon Airport -- the shortest of which is 3,750 meters long. It is also shorter than the runways at Gimpo International Airport, which are 3,600 meters and 3,200 meters long.
The Jeju Air flight, a Boeing 737-800 carrying 175 passengers and six crew, overshot the runway at Muan on landing at around 9 a.m. Sunday and collided with the perimeter fence. It was engulfed by a fire caused by a subsequent explosion.
Amid speculation about the degree to which the short landing area contributed to the accident, a preliminary investigation points to a landing gear malfunction resulting from a bird strike as the direct cause of the accident.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport dismissed speculations that the relatively short runway at the Muan International Airport contributed to the tragedy in any way.
The government in 2023 approved a budget for renovation that would have extended Muan Airport's runway to 3,160 meters by next year.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
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