The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 180

A Prosecutor’s Success – 181

Black Box (2)

-While investigating the cause of this accident, we managed to contact the only passenger in first class.

“Are you saying there was only one passenger in first class?”

-To be precise, the only passenger who was a customer.

“So, there were passengers who weren’t customers?”

-Yes. Kim Yoon-geun, an executive director of passenger marketing at MIRS, and his two children were on board.

MIRS Airlines is known as a family-run company.

“So, that executive director is also part of MIRS?”

-Yes, he is the second son of the MIRS Airlines CEO.

I began to smell something fishy.

-May I continue with my story?

“Go ahead.”

-The person I contacted is Professor Geum Seong-taek from Yangjin University.

Prosecutor Nam Min-je continued his story step by step.

-This man is a veteran professor who has been with Yangjin University for over 20 years. According to Professor Geum, after the plane entered the stratosphere and reached a stable altitude, Kim Yoon-geun took his children to the cockpit.

Hearing his story, I couldn’t help but tilt my head.

Generally, even if the captain allowed it, it’s impossible for anyone other than the crew to enter the cockpit.

As a member of the management, it’s not entirely impossible to enter the cockpit, but the problem was that it happened during the flight.

More importantly, Kim Yoon-geun didn’t go alone; he took his children with him.

It goes without saying that the captain wouldn’t have allowed this without a reason.

It would have been natural to be turned away from the cockpit, but the fact that Kim Yoon-geun entered with his children means he used his position as a MIRS Group executive to pressure the captain.

Even if he was a captain, he couldn’t ignore the pressure from the management since his livelihood was at stake.

“What are the children’s ages?”

-According to my investigation, the first is a son, nine years old, and the second is a daughter, six years old.

The picture is clear.

It was probably to show his children the cockpit or to show them the view from the cockpit while the plane was in operation.

-At first, he didn’t care, thinking it was because he was an executive. But about 10 minutes after they entered the cockpit, the plane suddenly started shaking. It is estimated that a kind of banked turn [a turn where the aircraft inclines to change direction] phenomenon occurred immediately afterward, and then the plane crashed.

Banked turn.

It means that the plane made a circular turn in a specific direction.

In other words, there was a problem with the plane’s control.

“And then you were rescued by the SV Group?”

-That’s right.

Since first class is attached to the cockpit and there were no other passengers in first class, Professor Geum Seong-taek was the only passenger who saw Kim Yoon-geun’s family entering the cockpit.

I didn’t expect the crew to testify. Since they belong to MIRS Airlines, they wouldn’t speak up if the company put pressure on them.

If they disobeyed and blew the whistle, retaliation would be obvious.

In other words, his testimony is very likely to be the only one.

That was enough reason for Prosecutor Nam Min-je to call me directly.

“Good job, Prosecutor Nam.”

-Thank you, Chief.

“This testimony hasn’t leaked to anyone else, has it?”

-No. Professor Geum Seong-taek was rescued by the SV Group and immediately taken to the hospital, so the police haven’t investigated him yet. People rescued by SV are lower priority as investigation targets……

He asked cautiously.

-Should I tell them not to disclose it to the outside?

“Explain it well so they don’t misunderstand that we’re hiding something. Tell them that the prosecution is investigating discreetly to find out the truth about the case. Report to me if it doesn’t seem to work out.”

A professor is an intellectual with a reputation.

If they misunderstand and think we’re trying to cover it up, they might reveal this fact to the public at an unexpected time. We had to approach it carefully.

-I understand. He seems to be stable, and as a professor, he seems to be able to communicate well. I’ll report back after I finish talking to him.

“Okay.”

I hung up and immediately called Yoon Seol-ha.

As if she had been waiting, she entered my office in less than a minute.

“Did you call me?”

“Ms. Seol-ha, have you heard of Executive Director Kim Yoon-geun?”

“Kim Yoon-geun… are you talking about the executive director of MIRS Airlines?”

“That’s right.”

I asked, focusing intently.

“What’s his personality like?”

“I know he’s not a complete brat compared to some *chaebols* [family-owned conglomerates], but he’s the type who likes to brag and look down on others.”

She asked cautiously.

“Is that person related to this case?”

“There’s a high possibility.”

“Shall we investigate?”

“Yes. Find out about his private life.”

“I understand.”

After Yoon Seol-ha left, I leaned back in my chair again.

Then, I pictured the plane just before the crash in my head.

Professor Geum Seong-taek was resting in first class when he suddenly witnessed Kim Yoon-geun and his children entering the cockpit.

As a member of the management, he would not have been restricted by the crew.

The important thing is whether it was the same when entering the cockpit.

If he had tried to go to the cockpit without notice, the captain would have refused once or twice, so the surrounding passengers would have noticed that there was a problem.

However, Professor Geum Seong-taek testified that he took it for granted that they were entering the cockpit.

In other words, the fact that there was no argument and the captain easily allowed it means that this was not the first time.

First of all, this will be the first problem.

However, it is not easy to punish the owner’s family of an airline just for entering.

The key is what happened in the cockpit.

I pictured the cockpit in my head again.

And I slowly began to draw in my head what happened to the plane.

If Kim Yoon-geun had simply watched, the problem would not have occurred.

A nine-year-old son and a six-year-old daughter.

Clearly, in addition to showing them the cockpit, he must have done something reckless, like letting them sit in the cockpit.

However, it is impossible to prevent young children from acting as they please.

The fact that a banked turn occurred means that the children touched something in the cockpit and turned off the autopilot, that is, the automatic flight control system.

The captain noticed it late and grabbed the control stick, but the situation had already gone out of control, and the plane eventually crashed.

This is my speculation.

This is the most reasonable picture, but it is just a speculation.

Until we get evidence like the plane’s black box, it can only be seen as an unfounded claim.

I immediately picked up my phone and called CEO Shin Dong-hyun.

His voice was heard before the ringtone rang several times.

-Yes, Prosecutor.

“How is the search for the missing going?”

-Yes. But it seems that we are slowly reaching the limit. Because it’s autumn and the weather is chilly, if they’ve been in the sea for this long, they’re likely to have died of hypothermia… But we’re still doing our best.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

-Do you have any instructions?

“Yes. At the same time as the search for the missing, I would like you to expedite the work of tracking down the crashed aircraft. We need the black box that may be left on the aircraft.”

-I understand. I’ll do that.

“Take care of your health.”

-Thank you.

I hung up the phone and turned on the TV, and as expected, news about the MIRS Airlines plane crash was coming out.

The current confirmed death toll is 37, the number of survivors is 120, and the number of missing is 31.

It is definitely a better score than the 45 deaths and 56 missing people I saw in the future text.

It definitely had a big effect that I talked to CEO Shin Dong-hyun in advance to prepare for the disaster and immediately put him into the field.

I could only add that it was fortunate in misfortune.

At that time, a thought suddenly flashed through my mind.

Professor Geum Seong-taek was said to have been rescued by the SV Group.

In other words, if Shin Dong-hyun hadn’t prepared and acted in advance, he would have been buried in the cold sea and his name would have been on the list of missing or dead.

It should be seen as having saved his life due to the influence of future texts.

And thanks to that, I was able to speculate on the cause of the crash before anyone else.

I felt like I was being rewarded for saving the lives of Professor Geum Seong-taek and others who could have been victims for some reason.

A kind of butterfly effect.

Professor Geum Seong-taek’s testimony may seem to the average person to be simply identifying the cause of the accident, but from the prosecutor’s point of view, it can be seen as a great help that can determine future actions.

When such a disaster occurs, the investigative authorities are busy figuring out the cause of the accident, and it is the norm not to think about who to target and attack.

The so-called villain.

However, if all the facts are revealed through the black box, it will be confirmed that there is a problem from the fact that they actually entered the cockpit.

If that doesn’t end there and my speculation is correct, the cause of this accident will be revealed to be the MIRS Airlines owner’s family.

The public’s criticism will be borne entirely by them.

If that happens, if you consider who will be the biggest beneficiary in that situation, there are only two cases.

A person who pours his own money into rescuing victims without considering the interests.

And the person who makes those who will be the ‘villains’ pay for their sins.

CEO Shin Dong-hyun has already preempted the first one, and no one even thinks about touching the second one.

It’s only natural.

Because the villain in this case has not been decided in the current situation.

How can you prepare to punish them when you don’t even know who they are?

No, in the first place, it is impossible to distinguish whether it is an accident or an incident.

Then what I have to choose is obvious.

Investigating MIRS Airlines faster than anyone else.

By doing so, it is to preempt the right to investigate this case.

Just because this happened, it is not just punished as one case, but the standard course is to dig up and destroy everything related to it.

Because punishing those who have been targeted is the easiest way to gain public support.

If I start investigating MIRS Airlines before the inside story of the case is revealed, I will be able to monopolize the performance related to MIRS.

I may be suspected of a targeted investigation, but that’s just suspicion. Where is the evidence?

Even if MIRS Airlines cries out and attacks the media, all you have to do is cover your eyes and pretend you don’t see it and hold out until you find the black box.

If you monopolize the case in that way, even if the truth of this accident is revealed later, other departments or other district prosecutors’ offices will not be able to touch it.

That means taking away the rice bowl that we have occupied.

Even though it’s a huge achievement, there won’t be anyone in the Korean prosecution who has the guts to fight me.

You don’t have to worry about not finding the black box.

Not only did it crash in the West Sea, but thanks to CEO Shin Dong-hyun’s quick action to rescue people, the aircraft was being tracked smoothly based on the location where the survivors were found.

If you guess based on the location where they were rescued, you will definitely be able to find where the aircraft crashed.

A perfect scenario has been completed.

All that’s left is to take down MIRS Airlines.

I immediately called Director Lee Doo-hyung.

“Did you call me, Chief?”

“Director Lee, you said that this accident might be a case?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

He looked at me, unable to hide his expectations.

“Just give me any instructions. I’m ready to move right away.”

I twisted the corners of my mouth and said.

“Dig up everything about MIRS Airlines. Let’s prepare by dusting off every speck of dust.”

Director Lee Doo-hyung’s eyes sparkled fiercely like a beast that had captured its prey.