South Korean investigators have revealed that pilots of the Jeju Air flight which crashed during an emergency landing last December may have shut down the less-damaged engine shortly after a bird strike.

The Boeing 737-800 belly-landed without its landing gear, overshot the runway at Muan airport, and burst into flames, killing 179 of the 181 people onboard.

According to an internal update seen by Reuters but not yet publicly released, the information cited the cockpit voice recorder, computer data and a switch found in the wreckage, that says the left engine sustained less damage than the right and was shut down 19 seconds after the bird strike. 

Meanwhile, the more damaged right engine was still producing enough thrust to keep the plane flying. Investigators have yet to explain the crew’s decision to shut down the less-affected engine.

The crash is being compared to the 1989 Kegworth disaster in the UK, where pilots mistakenly shut down a functioning engine after a bird strike. That incident led to major changes in flight crew training and emergency protocols worldwide.

Victims’ families and pilot unions have urged the investigation to consider all factors, including the concrete embankment struck during the crash, which may have worsened the impact. International aviation standards call for such structures to be frangible, designed to break apart on impact to reduce damage.

The final investigation report is expected to be released next June. 

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