South Korea Plane Crash: A Jeju Air flight from Bangkok to South Korea crashed during landing at Muan International Airport on Sunday morning, leaving 177 people dead and two survivors in critical condition, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. The Boeing 737-800, carrying 181 passengers and crew, skidded off the runway and collided with a wall before bursting into flames.
The South Korean transport ministry stated that the Boeing 737-800 jet, operated by Jeju Air, was manufactured in 2009. According to a report by Deccan Herald, the Boeing 737-800, since its introduction to commercial aviation, has been involved in at least 25 accidents, some of them including runway skidding in a similar nature to the South Korea plane crash.
South Korea Plane Crash: Sequence Of Events
The flight, which departed Bangkok at 1:30 a.m., was scheduled to land in Muan at 8:30 a.m. However, South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport stated that the control tower warned the pilot of a possible bird strike six minutes before the crash. At 9:07 a.m., the pilot issued a “mayday” distress call and attempted a second landing, reportedly without activating the landing gear, news agency AFP reported.
Dramatic video footage showed the aircraft skidding on its belly before the fatal collision. Of the 181 onboard, 175 were passengers, most of whom were Korean nationals, except for two Thai citizens. The survivors, both flight attendants, were rescued from the wreckage and are receiving treatment in Seoul for non-life-threatening injuries.
BREAKING: Video shows crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216 in South Korea. 181 people on board pic.twitter.com/9rQUC0Yxt8
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South Korea Plane Crash: Bird Strike With Adverse Weather Conditions Suspected As Cause
Officials suspect the crash resulted from a combination of bird strike and adverse weather conditions. Lee Jeong-hyun, chief of Muan Fire Station, told Yonhap News Agency, “The cause of the accident is presumed to be a bird strike combined with adverse weather conditions. However, the exact cause will be announced following a joint investigation.”
Contrary to speculation, the 2,800-metre runway length may not have been a factor in the crash. “The runway is 2,800 metres long, and similar-sized aircraft have been operating on it without issues,” an official said, as quoted by AFP.
Eyewitnesses provided chilling accounts of the crash. Yoo Jae-yong, staying near the airport, described seeing sparks on the plane’s right wing before the explosion. “I was telling my family there was a problem with the plane when I heard a loud explosion,” Yoo told Yonhap.
Another witness, identified only as Cho, said he noticed a flash of light as the plane descended and heard a loud bang followed by smoke and explosions.
A fisherman nearby, identified as Jung, told Yonhap he saw a flock of birds collide with the plane’s right engine, triggering a fire. “I heard two or three bangs as if the birds had been sucked into the engine before I saw flames coming from the right engine,” he said.
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South Korea Plane Crash: Muan County Declared Special Disaster Zone, Identification Of Deceased Becomes A Challenge
Hundreds of rescue workers, including military personnel, were deployed to the crash site. Acting President Choi Sang-mok declared Muan County a special disaster zone and assured all possible support to the victims’ families. “The aircraft has almost completely been destroyed, and it is difficult to identify the deceased,” a firefighting official told Yonhap.
Authorities have set up a temporary morgue at Muan airport to manage the remains of victims. Of the deceased, 22 have been identified so far, and search operations for two missing individuals are ongoing.
Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae apologised and expressed support for the bereaved families. “Regardless of the cause, I take full responsibility as the CEO,” Kim said.
Bird strikes are a significant hazard in aviation. The UN’s International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) notes that such incidents can lead to catastrophic engine failures.
