Offices of the Jeju Air, the Muan International Airport, and a regional aviation body were raided by South Korean police on early Thursday, as part of its probe on the fatal crash of Boeing 737-800.
Aviation authorities are currently investigating the cause of South Korea's deadliest air disaster that killed 179 out of 181 people on board the flight last Sunday.
The search and seizure operation was conducted by the Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency on Thursday morning, in coordination with officials from the United States. Apart from the inspection launched on all Boeing 737-800 aircraft in operation, a wider probe of the country's entire airline operations is also being pushed.
Acting president Choi Sang-mok called for immediate action, once inspections reveal any problems with the aircraft model. He also mentioned that the transport ministry and other relevant organizations must conduct a thorough inspection of operation maintenance, education, and training.
Authorities have extracted data from one of the plane's two black boxes (flight data recorder) before it was converted into audio. South Korean investigators are in discussion with the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on the flight recorder, for analysis on the damage it suffered.
Investigators hope that data on the flight and voice recorders provide insights into the crucial moments leading up to the tragedy. Meanwhile, aviation experts suspect a variety of contributing factors in the plane's fatal crash, including collision with birds and mechanical failure.
Although many questions remain unanswered, authorities are determined to verify the cause of the tragedy.
The plane belly-landed on Muan International Airport's runway without its landing gear deployed on Sunday, after the pilot reported a bird strike to air traffic control. It skidded into the concrete and eventually exploded into flames. Acting president Choi Sang-mok announced on Wednesday that 179 victims on board the flight have been identified.
Subsequently, authorities announced a seven-day period of national mourning, prompting New Year's Day celebrations to be cancelled or scaled down out of respect for the victims and their families.
