Families question Jeju probe's credibility

An investigation into the Jeju Air crash that killed 179 people is set to miss a one-year deadline to release a progress report, two officials said, as frustrated relatives of the victims continue to demand answers about what went wrong.

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The country's accident investigation board will not be in a position to release the interim update by the first anniversary on Monday of the worst aircraft accident on South Korean soil, the two board officials said. They declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

On Dec 29, 2024, the Boeing 737-800 made an emergency belly landing at Muan airport, overshot the runway then slammed into a concrete embankment and erupted into a fireball, killing all but two of the 181 people on board.

The government-led Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board said in a preliminary report in January that both of the plane’s engines sustained bird strikes.

The pilots shut off the less-damaged engine after the bird strike, investigators said in a July update that was not released publicly due to objections from victims' families.