Reports of an engine shutdown on a Jeju Air passenger aircraft occurred just two days before the recent catastrophic incident.
SBS reported on a passenger who chose to remain anonymous on Sunday.
Two days before the incident, the passenger experienced unusual circumstances aboard Jeju Air flight 7C2216 from Bangkok to Muan.
The passenger said, “As we boarded the aircraft, the engine noise suddenly dropped, and the cabin lights went dark. When I questioned the crew about the situation, they assured us everything was fine.”
He further reported that even after all passengers had boarded, the engine shutdowns and power outages occurred multiple times. Other passengers also sought explanations from the crew but received no detailed information.
The flight eventually proceeded as planned, taking off around 2:30 AM, an hour after the scheduled 1:30 AM departure. The plane landed at Muan Airport at approximately 9 AM. The passengers claimed that they endured six hours of anxiety.
The aircraft registration number cited by the passenger (HL8088) is identical to the one involved in the recent accident. Boeing 737-800, manufactured by Boeing company, first flew in August 2009 and was acquired by Jeju Air in February 2017.
Jeju Air firmly denied the claim of an engine shutdown two days before the incident. The airline stated that all maintenance records and relevant information have been submitted to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport.
The accident occurred at approximately 9:07 AM on Sunday when Jeju Air flight 7C2216, inbound from Bangkok, was landing at Muan Airport in Jeollanam-do. The aircraft veered off the runway, collided with an external structure, and exploded and caught fire. The intense blaze left the aircraft nearly unrecognizable, with only the tail section remaining intact. As of now, only two crew members out of the total 181 occupants (175 passengers and 6 crew members) have been rescued.
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