A Jeju Air plane carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea crashed upon arrival Sunday, slamming into a barrier and erupting in flames, with all but two believed to be dead......Read The Full Article>>.....Read The Full Article>>
Authorities speculate that a bird strike and adverse weather conditions likely contributed to the crash, which ejected passengers from the aircraft and left it “almost completely destroyed,” according to fire officials.
Video footage captured the Jeju Air plane from Bangkok landing on its belly at Muan International Airport, skidding off the runway as smoke billowed from the engines before crashing into a wall and exploding in a fireball.
“Passengers were thrown from the aircraft upon impact with the wall, leaving little chance of survival,” a local fire official told families during a briefing, as stated in a fire brigade release.
“The plane is nearly obliterated, making the identification of the deceased a challenging process. Recovering remains is taking significant time,” he reported.
Only two individuals were rescued, both flight attendants, and by mid-afternoon, the fire department confirmed that 120 people were dead.
An AFP photographer observed the charred wreckage of the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 on the runway at Muan—approximately 288 kilometers (about 190 miles) southwest of Seoul—while firefighters and emergency crews worked nearby.
The accident unfolded within minutes starting from 9:03 am (0003 GMT) on Sunday during the landing of Jeju Air Flight 2216, which carried 175 passengers, including two Thai nationals, along with six crew members.
“It took about three minutes from the control tower’s bird strike warning to the aircraft’s attempted landing,” the Ministry of Land reported.
Just two minutes before the crash, the pilot issued a Mayday call.
When questioned about whether the crash could be attributed to the runway’s length—given that video shows the plane skidding off the tarmac and hitting a wall—an official stated this was likely not a factor.
“The runway is 2,800 meters long, and similar-sized aircraft have operated there without incident,” they explained. “It is improbable that the runway’s length contributed to the accident.”
Lee Jeong-hyun, chief of Muan fire station, indicated during a briefing that the cause was “presumed to be a bird strike combined with adverse weather conditions.”
“However, a conclusive cause will be determined following a thorough joint investigation,” Lee added.
Low-cost carrier Jeju Air expressed its sorrow and committed to assisting in any way possible.
“We sincerely apologize for the concern caused,” the airline declared in a statement shared on social media.
Boeing, in a statement, confirmed its communication with Jeju Air and stated it was “ready to provide support.”
South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok, who assumed office just days ago, convened an emergency meeting with cabinet members to discuss rescue operations and response before heading to Muan, his office disclosed.
“I believe no words of consolation can adequately comfort the bereaved families enduring this tragedy,” Choi remarked.
“The entire government is working diligently together to manage the aftermath of the accident, dedicating all available resources and striving to ensure comprehensive support for the grieving families,” he added.
This incident marks the first fatal accident in Jeju Air’s history, one of South Korea’s largest low-cost carriers, established in 2005.
On August 12, 2007, a Bombardier Q400 operated by Jeju Air skidded off the runway at the southern Busan-Gimhae airport due to strong winds while carrying 74 passengers, resulting in a dozen injuries.
Experts assert that South Korea’s aviation industry has a robust safety record.
Last year, a passenger opened an emergency exit on an Asiana Airlines flight just before landing; the aircraft landed safely, but several passengers required hospitalization.
Globally, numerous fatal aviation accidents have resulted from bird strikes, which can cause engines to lose power if wildlife is ingested.
In 2009, a US Airways Airbus A320 famously landed in New York’s Hudson River after bird strikes disabled both engines, an incident known as the “Miracle on the Hudson,” which astonishingly resulted in no fatalities.
AFP
