In a troubling development following South Korea’s worst aviation disaster, the country’s transport ministry has confirmed that the black boxes from the ill-fated Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 stopped recording crucial data minutes before the crash. Both the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) ceased operations roughly four minutes before the plane collided with a concrete barrier at Muan International Airport on December 29, 2024.

The Boeing 737-800 jet, en route from Thailand to South Korea, tragically crashed during its final descent. Investigators revealed that the aircraft belly-landed before slamming into a localizer—a critical component of the airport’s navigation system—and subsequently exploded. Of the 181 passengers and crew onboard, only two survived, making it the deadliest aviation disaster in South Korean history.

The discovery of missing black box data has intensified concerns about the causes of the crash. A former transport ministry accident investigator expressed surprise at the finding, speculating that all power to the aircraft, including emergency backups, may have been lost. Such scenarios are exceedingly rare in modern aviation. Following inconclusive analysis of the CVR in South Korea, the device was sent to the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for further examination.

The role of the localizer in the crash has also come under scrutiny. Typically used to assist aircraft landings, this structure inadvertently amplified the severity of the impact. Preliminary investigations have yet to determine whether the navigation system’s design or placement played a role in the tragedy. Meanwhile, South Korean authorities have extended inspections of Boeing 737-800 models across the country and imposed a travel ban on Jeju Air’s chief executive as part of the ongoing investigation.

This incident has raised broader questions about the safety of the Boeing 737-800 fleet and airport infrastructure. The absence of critical flight data in the moments preceding the crash presents significant challenges for investigators as they work to understand the chain of events leading to this catastrophe. With public confidence in air travel shaken, the aviation industry faces mounting pressure to address safety vulnerabilities.