A Jeju Air flight from Seoul was forced to return to the airport on Monday after experiencing a landing gear issue, the airline reported. This incident occurred just one day after South Korea’s deadliest plane crash.
The Boeing 737-800 involved in Monday’s incident was the same model as the one that crashed on Sunday, killing 179 people when it attempted to land without its landing gear engaged.
Jeju Air Flight 7C101, which had departed from Seoul’s Gimpo International Airport at around 6:37 AM, returned to the airport at 7:25 AM after a landing gear problem was detected shortly after takeoff.
“Shortly after takeoff, a signal indicating a landing gear issue appeared on the aircraft’s monitoring system,” said Song Kyung-hoon, head of Jeju Air’s management support office, during a press conference.
At 6:57 AM, the captain communicated with ground control, and after taking corrective measures, the landing gear returned to normal operation. However, the crew decided to return to Gimpo for a thorough inspection of the aircraft.
Local media reported that 21 passengers opted not to board an alternate flight to Jeju Island, citing safety concerns and other reasons.
Jeju Air’s fleet includes 41 planes, with 39 Boeing 737-800s.
In response to the recent incidents, South Korea announced plans for a special inspection of all 101 Boeing 737-800 aircraft operating in the country. The investigation into the Sunday crash is expected to involve U.S. officials, potentially including representatives from the plane’s manufacturer, Boeing.
“We are reviewing plans to conduct a special inspection on B737-800 aircraft,” said Joo Jong-wan, head of the aviation policy bureau at South Korea’s Ministry of Transport.
Joo added that the government intends to implement “rigorous aviation safety inspections” in light of the landing gear incidents.
In Sunday’s crash at Muan, Jeju Air Flight 2216, carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea, made a mayday call and belly-landed before crashing into a barrier and bursting into flames. Tragically, all passengers on board were killed, except for two flight attendants who were rescued from the wreckage.
