A fatal combination of unfavorable factors is the cause of the plane crash in South Korea, writes the newspaper The New York Times, citing experts.
Due to construction work, part of the runway at Muan Airport was inaccessible - pilots could use 8.2 thousand feet (2.5 km) of 9.2 thousand feet (2.8 km). According to South Korean authorities, this distance is enough for a Boeing 737-800 to land, but on Sunday the plane missed the standard landing zone and did so further than usual, the publication writes.
Interlocutors of The New York Times noted that the pilot lost control of the engines and landing gear, and it was also not possible to activate the flaps.
“A problem with the engine does not necessarily mean that there is a problem with the landing gear. They are not always related to each other. But in this case, both probably failed, which forced the decision to land in a matter of seconds“, says Professor Park Seong-ju of the Free Cyber University of Korea.
Rush landing becomes another fatal factor for the crew and passengers of the plane, the newspaper points out.