Airport Design Under Scrutiny After Deadly Crash
A devastating plane crash in South Korea has raised questions about the role of airport design in preventing such tragedies. On Sunday, Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 crashed, killing all but two of the 181 people on board. The Boeing 737-800 belly-landed on the runway, bursting into flames after hitting a mound of dirt and a concrete wall at the end of the runway.
A Critical Obstacle
The presence of the concrete wall, which is not designed to break apart, has sparked concerns among aviation experts. “That certainly made it difficult to stop the aircraft safely,” said Todd Curtis, founder of Air Safe Media and a former Boeing safety engineer. The wall, located beyond the end of the runway, is a critical obstacle that may have contributed to the high number of fatalities.
Investigation Underway
Crash investigators will spend months examining every aspect of the crash, including aircraft maintenance records, pilot scheduling, and cockpit voice recorders. While initial evidence suggests a bird strike may have played a role in possible engine loss, experts caution that the investigation is still in its early stages.
Fatal Consequences
Aviation experts believe that the fatalities could have been minimized if the plane had not collided with the concrete wall. “You see the airplane skidding along, it is slowing down, they’re slowing down and everything is going pretty well up until where they hit the wall,” said John Cox, an aviation safety consultant and Boeing 737 pilot. Cox suspects that the cause of death for most passengers will be attributed to blunt force trauma from hitting the wall.
Safety Barriers: A Mixed Bag
Barriers past airport runways are common and recommended, but their design and effectiveness vary. Engineered material arresting systems (EMAS), like those found at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, are designed to slow down a plane beyond the runway and prevent it from rolling into more dangerous areas. In contrast, the barrier at Muan International Airport in South Korea did not appear to be frangible, or able to break apart.
A Call for Improved Safety Measures
The crash highlights the need for airports to reassess their safety measures and invest in more effective barriers to prevent such tragedies in the future. As investigators continue to uncover the causes of the crash, airport designers and safety experts will be scrutinizing their own practices to ensure that every possible precaution is taken to protect passengers and crew.
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