Jeju Air Flight Returns to Seoul After Landing Gear Issue

Incident Comes a Day After Deadly South Korean Plane Crash

A Jeju Air flight from Seoul to Jeju Island was forced to return to Gimpo International Airport on Monday after encountering a landing gear issue. This incident occurred just a day after South Korea's deadliest plane crash, which claimed 179 lives.

The affected aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, was the same model as the one involved in Sunday’s catastrophic crash in Muan.

Jeju Air Flight 7C101 departed Gimpo at 6:37 a.m. but returned to the airport at 7:25 a.m. after a signal on the aircraft’s monitoring system indicated a potential landing gear malfunction.

"Shortly after takeoff, a signal indicating a landing gear issue was detected on the aircraft’s monitoring system," said Song Kyung-hoon, head of the management support office at Jeju Air.

Although the landing gear returned to normal operation after additional measures were taken, the captain decided to return to Gimpo for a thorough inspection.

Passengers Express Safety Concerns

Following the incident, 21 passengers chose not to board an alternate flight to Jeju, citing safety concerns. Jeju Air operates a fleet of 41 planes, including 39 Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Nationwide Inspections Ordered

In response to the back-to-back incidents involving Boeing 737-800 planes, South Korea’s transport ministry announced a special inspection of all 101 Boeing 737-800 aircraft operating in the country.

Joo Jong-wan, head of the aviation policy bureau at the transport ministry, stated, "We are reviewing plans to conduct a special inspection on B737-800 aircraft. Rigorous aviation safety inspections will be implemented to address these incidents."

US investigators, including representatives from Boeing, are expected to join the ongoing probe into Sunday’s crash.

Sunday’s Tragedy

On Sunday, Jeju Air Flight 2216 from Thailand to South Korea made a mayday call before belly-landing at Muan International Airport. The plane crashed into a barrier and burst into flames, killing all 181 passengers and crew onboard except for two flight attendants who were rescued from the wreckage.