Following the tragic crash of Jeju Air 7C2216 at Muan Airport, South Korea last month, the South Korean government said on Monday (January 13, 2025) the localizer structures at seven of 13 airports will need to improved for safety reasons.
Following the tragic crash of Jeju Air 7C2216 at Muan Airport, South Korea last month, the South Korean government said on Monday (January 13, 2025) the localizer structures at seven of 13 airports will need to improved for safety reasons.
According to reports from outlets such the Korea JoongAng Daily, on-site inspections of navigation equipment including localizers, glide path stations and distance measurement equipment, and Very High Frequency Omni-directional Range (VOR) stations at 13 airports within South Korea took place following the crash of 7C2216.
Combined, the equipment are part of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) which aids pilots for landings in low-visibility conditions such as in inclement weather or at night.
Following a bird strike before its first attempt to land at Muan Airport, 7C2216 struck an embankment containing the localizer antenna array at the end of the runway after attempting a belly landing. Of the 181 passengers and crew on board, 2 survived the crash.
A total of 32 localizers, 51 glide path stations/distance measuring equipment, and 17 VOR stations were inspected. The transport ministry concluded that localizer facilities at seven airports – including Muan Airport – were constructed with hard material concrete that “could potentially worsen damage as they do not easily give way upon collision with aircraft.”
Other airports in South Korea found with similar structures include Gwangju Airport, Yeosu Airport in South Jeolla, and Pohang-Gyeongju Airport in North Gyeongsang, Busan Gimhae International Airport, and Sacheon Airport in South Gyeongsang, and Jeju International Airport.
Meanwhile, 26 localizer structures at the seven other airports are buried underground. Other glide slope facilities and distance measuring equipment were found to pose no risk in the event of a collision. Localizer facilities at Seoul Incheon and Yangyang International Airport were installed within the runway end safety area, with all nine facilities made with “easily breakable materials and deemed not to pose a safety risk.”
In addition to the inspection of airport navigation aids, improvements in training manuals has also been implemented, and inspections have been conducted on Boeing 737-800 operated by South Korea-based airlines.
Going further, the South Korean transport ministry said it will continue with safety inspections at airports through January 21.
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