The South Korean-led investigation into the Jeju Air Flight 2216 crash in December 2024 has confirmed that critical pilot error played a decisive role in the tragedy that killed 179 people, making it the deadliest aviation disaster in South Korea’s history.

According to Reuters, investigators discovered that the pilots mistakenly shut down the less-damaged left engine instead of the severely affected right engine after a bird strike mid-flight. This error is now firmly supported by cockpit voice recordings, flight data, and a recovered engine switch.

“The investigation team has clear evidence and backup data, so its finding will not change,” a source familiar with the probe told Reuters.

Fallout and National Reforms

The crash has triggered a national reckoning with South Korea’s aviation safety protocols, pilot training, and emergency response systems. The government has:

  • Ordered a countrywide inspection of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

  • Banned Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae from traveling abroad.

  • Conducted raids on Jeju Air headquarters and Muan International Airport as part of a wider regulatory probe.

The incident also exposed infrastructure flaws, with experts criticizing the presence of a concrete embankment just 300 meters from the runway, which may have worsened the impact.

Calls for Accountability and Systemic Change

Safety advocates and victims’ families are pushing for deep-seated reforms, arguing that the disaster reveals systemic lapses in training, regulatory oversight, and airport design.

“This isn’t only about one mistake in the cockpit,” said a Seoul-based aviation consultant. “It’s about a system that allowed it to happen.”

Context

This tragedy comes nearly three decades after the 1997 Korean Air crash in Guam, which killed 228 people. Only two of the 181 people on board Jeju Air Flight 2216 survived, as the aircraft belly-landed without its landing gear and skidded into flames.

As investigations continue—including the analysis of one black box sent to the United States—the pressure remains on Jeju Air, government regulators, and the broader airline industry to ensure that such catastrophic failures are never repeated.