On Sunday morning, a jet crashed at South Korea’s Muan International Airport, killing over 170 people. The Jeju Air aircraft was seen in terrifying CCTV footage speeding off the runway, hitting a barrier, and exploding in flames.
The aircraft held 181 passengers on its way back from Bangkok, Thailand. Sadly, 179 of the passengers died, but two crew members were pulled from the wreckage. Though preliminary reports from fire officials point to a potential mix of a bird attack and unfavorable meteorological conditions, authorities are still looking into what caused the accident. But aviation experts warn that there could be a lot of reasons for the tragedy.
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Reports on Occurrence
The flight, designated 7C2216, was operated by Jeju Air, a popular South Korean budget carrier, using a Boeing 737-800. Air traffic control cleared the plane to land at Muan International Airport at approximately 08:54 local time on Sunday (23:54 GMT), just three minutes before issuing a warning about reported bird activity in the area.
At 08:59, the pilot reported a bird strike, issuing a “mayday” call and requesting a go-around. The pilot then aborted the initial landing and requested permission to land from the opposite direction. Air traffic control authorized this alternate landing at 09:01. The plane subsequently made contact with the ground at 09:02, landing roughly halfway down the 2,800-meter runway.
Eyewitness accounts and video footage indicate the plane touched down without deploying its landing gear, skidding down the runway before overshooting it, crashing into a wall, and bursting into flames. Witnesses reported hearing a “loud bang” followed by “a series of explosions.” Emergency crews were quick to the scene and eventually extinguished the fire. The first survivor was rescued at around 09:23, with the second being extracted from the tail section at about 09:50.
Investigations Underway For Potential Causes – Bird Strike Allegedly Main Cause Of Accident
Lee Jeong-hyun, chief of the Muan fire department, acknowledged that a bird strike and adverse weather might have contributed to the crash, but stressed that the exact cause remains under investigation. The flight and voice recorders have been recovered, although the flight recorder sustained damage. Investigators estimate it could take up to a month to decode the black boxes.
Conflicting reports emerged, with one passenger messaging a relative claiming a bird was “stuck in the wing,” preventing a successful landing. However, officials have not confirmed any bird collision. Jeju Air’s management affirmed that the crash was not the result of any maintenance issues. The South Korean transport department stated that the head pilot had extensive experience, having held the role since 2019 with over 6,800 hours of flight time.
Geoffrey Thomas, an aviation expert, noted that South Korea and its airlines generally adhere to “industry best practice” and that both the aircraft and the airline had a strong safety record. Thomas, however, also expressed skepticism that a bird strike alone was responsible for the crash, stating that while bird strikes are common, they do not typically cause the loss of an entire aircraft by themselves.
Source: bbc
