Aviation experts argue poor runway design to blame for South Korea crash

Some aviation experts are arguing that the deadly Jeju Air crash in South Korea was the result of poor runway design. Among them is David Learmount.

"I'm pretty shocked actually because whatever happened to the aeroplane which meant that the pilot couldn't get the flaps and gear down for the landing was not actually what caused the death of the passengers. The passengers were killed by hitting a solid structure just over the end of the runway where a solid structure should not be," Learmount insists.

On Sunday, a commercial aircraft hurtled off a runway and crashed into a fence in southwest Korea, after the landing gear seemingly failed to kick in.

Learmount argues that the pilot showed skill, but these efforts were crippled by poor runway design.

"What we saw was during the video of this landing, is we saw the aircraft being put down beautifully with wings perfectly level, it was sliding on its belly, it was going very fast because the pilot couldn't get the flaps down, possibly because the hydraulics had failed after a bird strike, but anyway he (the pilot) had to land particularly fast, that's why the aircraft went over the end of the runway. That's why - because aircraft occasionally will go over the end - you don't put solid structures immediately in the overrun. But that's what happened here,'' Learmount says.

After crashing, the plane burst into flames. More than 30 fire trucks and several helicopters were tasked with bringing the blaze under control.

Just two of the 181 people on board survived.

Officials have floated the possibility that the fence should have been made with materials that would more easily fragment upon impact.