Desperate hunt for answers as ‘confused’ experts left baffled by plane crash that killed 179 & cast doubt on bird strike
HEARTBROKEN families are facing a desperate hunt for answers over the South Korea plane crash that killed 179 people – leaving just two survivors.
The devastating aircraft disaster saw the Boeing 737-800 appear to hit a bird on approach to Muan International Airport before it then slammed into the tarmac and exploded in a fireball.
Crash investigators are now facing the agonising task of combing through the charred wreckage to find out how the bizarre crash – the deadliest air disaster of 2024 – could have happened.
Families have been seen wailing and weeping at the airport as they face a painful wait for news – with many of those killed on board having to be identified by their fingerprints.
The fireball tore the plane apart and sent seats & passengers luggage scattered across the runway after the pilots attempted a “belly landing”.
The world has paid tribute to the heartbroken nation, with King Charles II saying he and his wife are “profoundly saddened” by the disaster.
Questions are now being asked however over the initial version of events – that a “bird strike” somehow crippled the plane’s landing gear on approach to Muan.
Footage shows the plane appeared to be hit by a bird – or object – while flying over head and South Korean media reports one of the few survivors said there was an “explosion” after the impact.
Damage to the engine could impact the plane’s hydraulics which would impact the landing gear – but why the aircraft then descended so rapidly and made its fatal skidding landing has baffled experts.
Gregory Alegi, an aviation expert and former teacher at Italy’s air force academy, said: “At this point there are a lot more questions than we have answers.
“Why was the plane going so fast? Why were the flaps not open? Why was the landing gear not down?”
Christian Beckert, a flight safety expert and Lufthansa pilot, said the video footage suggested that aside from the reversers, most of the plane’s braking systems were not activated, creating a “big problem” and a fast landing.
Beckert said a bird strike was unlikely to have damaged the landing gear while it was still up, and that if it had happened when it was down, it would have been hard to raise again.
“It’s really, really very rare and very unusual not to lower the gear, because there are independent systems where we can lower the gear with an alternate system,” he said.
It comes as…
- Only two people have been survived with 179 dead in the horror crash
- Terrifying footage shows the explosion as the Boeing tried a ‘belly landing’ at Muan International Airport
- Investigators have recovered the jet’s Black Box as they try to piece together the cause of the crash
- A heartbreaking final text message asked: ‘Should I say my last words?’
- Footage emerged of it striking birds moments before landing – and a survivor said they heard an explosion
- Another horror landing also happened in Canada – and a second in Norway on the same night
The world awaits the outcome of the probe – that will be led by South Korea and the US, where the plane was made by Boeing.
The official death toll is 179 – with all 175 passengers killed, four crew killed, and two crew rescued.
The head pilot had been in this role since 2019 and had more than 9,800 hours of flight experience, according to the airline.
The youngest victim was tragically a three-year-old – with most passengers families returning home from a package holiday to Thailand.
A 60-year-old man was grieving at the airport after five in his family, across three generations, were killed.
Footage showed the single-aisle plane strike a bird with its right engine as it came in to land in the southwestern city of Muan.
The pilot then made a mayday call – and had to abort a landing attempt several minutes later.
The undercarriage did not extend when the jet landed on the plane’s second attempt – with the fuselage slamming into the runway.
Footage then caught the doomed flight’s final moments as it skidded off the tarmac, hit an embankment, and exploded in a fireball.
The packed jet – Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 – was carrying 181 people, mainly holidaymakers, from Bangkok, Thailand.
Firefighters said two of the six crew members, one man and one woman, survived after being pulled from the tail of the plane.
The 33-year-old man suffered multiple fractures and is receiving special care following the disaster.
He reportedly told doctors that he had already been rescued when he work up, Yonhap said.
The death toll steadily climbed on Sunday morning to 179 as bodies were pulled from the smouldering wreckage.
Details about the deceased are now beginning to emerge – with two Thai nationals on board and the oldest person being 78.
Tragically, five were children aged under 10 years old with most on the plane being in their 50s and 60s.
Some 82 of the confirmed dead are men and 83 women, while 11 can’t be identified as their body is too badly burned.
Weeping families have been seen gathering at the airport as South Korea comes to terms with its worst air disaster in two decades.
One passenger’s final text message has been revealed, with the doomed woman saying: “Just now, should I say my last words?”
The investigation into what exactly happened has now begun with the black box being recovered from the wreck.
Soldiers and emergency services are now combing the runway and surrounding fields to find clues for what caused the crash.
Horrifying footage showed the jet landing on its belly without wheels.
It skids off the runway as smoke pours out from underneath it, before smashing into a wall and exploding in flames.
Fire crews said the crash was so violent that the jet was “almost completely destroyed”.
Muan International Airport is in Muan county, about 179 miles southwest of Seoul.
The accident took place at 9.03am local time – just after midnight UK time – on Sunday.
Low-cost carrier Jeju Air apologised with officials bowing in front of cameras and vowing to do all they could to help.
The airline said in a statement: “We at Jeju Air will do everything in our power in response to this accident.
“We sincerely apologise for causing concern.”
The official said it was “unlikely” the disaster had been caused by a short runway after the plane skidding off the end and hit a wall.
They said: “The runway is 2,800 meters long, and similar-sized aircraft have been operating on it without issues.”
The flight data recorder was found at 11.30am local time, about two and a half hours after the crash, and the cockpit voice recorder was found at 2.24pm, according to South Korea’s transport ministry.
Boeing said that it was in touch with Jeju Air and stood “ready to support them”.
The fire agency said it had mobilised 32 fire engines and scores of firefighters to the scene.
South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok, who only took office Friday, convened an emergency meeting with cabinet and headed to the disaster scene.
He said: “I believe no words of consolation would suffice for the bereaved families who have suffered this tragedy.
“The entire government is working closely together to manage the aftermath of the accident, dedicating all available resources, while making every effort to ensure thorough support for the bereaved families.”
A seven-day national mourning period has been announced by the government.
It is the first fatal accident in the history of Jeju Air, one of South Korea’s largest low-cost carriers, which was set up in 2005.
King Charles II paid tributes to the victims of the crash.
“My wife and I were profoundly saddened to learn of the horrific air accident at Muan, which resulted in such grievous loss of life,” the King said in a statement.
“As the people of the Republic of Korea mourn this disaster, the families and loved ones of all the victims are in our prayers.”
Sir Keir Starmer has sent his “deepest condolences” to the victims of a plane crash in South Korea which killed 179 people.
“I send my deepest condolences to the victims and families of those who lost their lives in the tragic plane crash in Muan,” the Prime Minister said.
“I pay tribute to the work of the emergency responders and my thoughts are with the people of the Republic of Korea and Thailand at this terrible time.”
Timeline of the Muan plane disaster
By James Halpin, foreign news reporter
SOUTH Korea has suffered its deadliest air disaster in two decades as a jet carrying 181 went down with only two survivors.
4.29am – Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 leaves Bangkok carrying tourists coming home from package holidays in Thailand.
8.57am – Pilot receives bird strike warning on approach to Muan International Airport.
8.58am – Pilot issues a mayday call – and witnesses report hearing an “explosion” overheard as video shows an apparent bird strike.
9.00am – Plane aborts first landing attempt on Runway 01.
9.03am – The jet then attempts a second landing on Runway 19 on its belly – and crashes in a fireball.