Just over a month after the tragic crash of a Jeju Air passenger plane that resulted in 179 fatalities, a fire broke out on an Air Busan aircraft at Gimhae Airport, raising concerns once again about the safety of low-cost carriers (LCCs). This incident occurred after the government held a special safety inspection meeting for LCCs, leading to a decline in trust and an increase in anxiety among airline passengers. With calls for stronger safety measures for LCCs intensifying, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport is expected to announce an aviation safety innovation plan in April.

◆ 17 Flights in the 48 Hours Leading Up to the Accident

According to industry sources on the 30th, a fire broke out on Air Busan flight BX391, which was preparing to take off from Gimhae Airport for Hong Kong at around 10:15 PM on the 28th. All 176 people on board, including passengers and crew, successfully evacuated the plane. While the incident resulted in seven minor injuries, the fact that it occurred just a month after the Jeju Air disaster has raised concerns about the safety of domestic aviation. In particular, the fact that both Jeju Air and Air Busan are low-cost carriers (LCCs) has led to renewed scrutiny of the safety practices of LCCs.

According to the flight tracking website FlightAware, Air Busan's HL7763 aircraft had flown a total of 17 times in the 48 hours leading up to the accident. The total flight time amounted to 942 minutes, or 15 hours and 42 minutes. The flight routes included Gimpo to Jeju, Jeju to Gimhae, Gimpo to Gimhae, and Gimhae to Macau.

Earlier, on the 29th of last month, Jeju Air flight 7C2216, which was involved in the accident, had also operated 13 flights in the 48 hours leading up to the incident, traveling between Muan, Jeju, Incheon airports, and Bangkok, Thailand. This raised concerns about the airline's demanding flight schedule. Similarly, there are voices questioning whether Air Busan's aircraft operated too frequently, perhaps in an attempt to capitalize on the travel demand during the Lunar New Year holiday period.

◆ Cause of the Accident: Battery/Electronics vs. Wiring Defects

The aircraft involved in the incident was a 17-year-old Airbus A321-200, which is considered to be relatively old. As a result, the industry is focusing on identifying the cause of the fire, considering various possibilities.

There have been eyewitness reports stating that the fire started from the overhead bin, leading to various speculations about the unidentified object that may have caused the fire. In the industry, testimonies from passengers seated at the back suggest that the fire began in the overhead compartment. Considering that smoke was reported to have come from the bin, it is believed that a passenger's luggage may have been involved in the incident.

Fires caused by lithium batteries have occurred frequently. For instance, in April of last year, a fire broke out in a carry-on luggage compartment on an Asiana Airlines flight from Gimpo to Jeju, caused by a power bank stored in the compartment.

However, the investigation team and firefighters are also keeping the possibility of electrical wiring issues, such as short circuits, open as part of their inquiry. While the aircraft does not reach the 20-year mark typically classified as an older aircraft, it has surpassed 17 years and 3 months of service, making it likely that the aging of the aircraft may have contributed to the incident. The aircraft's rear section contains components like the APU (Auxiliary Power Unit), and the electrical wiring in the aircraft is intricately connected. If maintenance records show that wiring replacement or inspections were not properly conducted, there is a high likelihood that it could have led to the fire.

◆ Government Launches Full Investigation

The Aviation and Railroad Accident Investigation Committee under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, along with relevant authorities such as the fire department, will begin a thorough inspection of the Air Busan aircraft starting on the 30th. The investigation team plans to recover and analyze the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder to investigate the incident.

Earlier, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport stated that after conducting a counter-terrorism investigation with relevant authorities starting on the morning of the 29th, no clear suspects were identified. They also explained that although the upper part of the aircraft was completely burned, the aircraft's wings and engines showed no signs of damage.

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