Yesterday, December 29, 2024 at 9:03 (local time), in South Korea a landing plane was unable to brake due to a trolley malfunctiongoing over the runway and crashing into a wall. The impact caused a violent explosion who took the life of 179 from the 181 people present on board. The vehicle, operated by the low-cost company Jeju Air, had started from Bangkok, in Thailand, and after about 3500 km of flight he was planning to land atMuan International Airport, Korea. To prevent other accidents from occurring, these have been prepared extraordinary checks on all and 101 the means of this type present in the country, as stated by Joo Jong-wan, Korean Vice Minister of Civil Aviation.
But what were the causes of this disaster? And is flying a plane really that dangerous?
The bird strike hypothesis as a possible cause
Let’s assume that at the moment there are no certain answers: the investigations they are ongoing and it tends to take weeks if not months to have a reconstruction of what happened. From the very first reconstructions, based mainly on amateur videos, it would seem that the right engine of the aircraft had a problem, probably due to a bird strike, i.e. the impact of one or more birds with the engine turbine. This hypothesis is supported by the statement by the South Korean transport minister, according to which the control tower would have warned the crew of the risk of a bird strike at 8:576 minutes before impact; the pilot would then send a mayday at 8:58.
Why did the carts get stuck?
The cart may not have dropped due to a mechanical lock or because of afailure of the hydraulic system. However, all airplanes with retractable landing gear are equipped with systems emergency manual extension. Obviously, as we are still not sure of the real dynamics of the accident, it is difficult to understand why the trolley was not extended.
Speaking of trolleys, breaking news: another plane from the Jeju Air had a similar problem with the undercarriage so, as confirmed by the Vice Minister of Civil Aviation, Joo Jong-wan., until January 3 there will be a technical check on the engines and trolleys for 101 aircraft operated by six airlines that use the same model as the accident aircraft, i.e Boeing 737-8AS.
This, among other things, could also explain why the engines they were not put in reverse For decrease the speed: in the event of a bird strike they would have been out of use, and therefore not usable for this purpose.
Why didn’t the pilot regain altitude and then try landing again?
When a failure occurs, normally, if it does not limit the flight time and there is sufficient fuel to carry out all procedures calmly, the approach does not begin until the troubleshooting was not completed. So, considering the dynamics, one would think that the time available in flight was a predominant factor and that e it did not have the necessary autonomy to stay in flight.
There are therefore many questions, as are the doubts: “Bird strikes alone are unlikely to explain the scale of the disaster – commented the Italian aviation expert Alegi – It is clear that there could have been a bird strike but the consequences are too serious for this to be the direct cause of the accident.”
Is flying really the safest means of transport?
After seeing images of the disaster, some might question whether flying is the safest way to travel – but the reality is very different. Even though these incidents go around the world in just a few minutes via the web, and grip our stomachs, they remain white flies in statistical terms. Planes are definitely the safest means of transport.
The cars in fact are approx 60 times less safe of airplanes and 7-8 times less safe of trains. Although the data and statistics are clear, we are still generally more afraid of a plane; the media power of certain images conditions us, enormously conditions the emotional part. After certain images, even in my subconscious I will be more afraid of the next flight.
However, we must not forget the facts and data. Cars and motorbikes are much more dangerous than a plane.
