South Korea: Plane Crashes Into Wall During Landing, 179 Dead
A Jeju Air flight crashed at South Korea's Muan Airport, killing 179 people, with only two survivors, after a bird strike damaged the plane’s landing gear.
In yet another tragic aviation accident, a Jeju Air flight crashed at South Korea’s Muan International Airport on 29th December 2024, killing 179 people out of the 181 on board. Jeju Air is one of South Korea's prominent budget airlines.
Reports say Jeju Air Flight 2216, which was traveling from Bangkok to Muan, was hit by a bird strike while landing at 9:03 am. The bird strike allegedly damaged the plane’s landing gears, causing the aircraft to skid off the runway and crash into the airport’s concrete boundary wall. The impact was so severe that it resulted in a huge fireball explosion, almost completely destroying the Boeing 737-800 jet.
Locals reported seeing flames and black smoke coming from the plane's engine, along with the sounds of metal scraping and explosions. Muan’s Fire Department quickly sent 32 fire engines to the scene to extinguish the fire and rescue any survivors from the rear section of the flight. However, nearly everyone on board died in the crash.
Out of the 181 passengers and crew members, only 1 passenger and 1 flight attendant survived, both of whom were critically injured. The oldest person on board was a 78-year-old man, and the youngest was a 3-year-old girl. The flight attendant, identified as 32-year-old Lee, was in shock when he regained consciousness in the hospital. He reportedly asked the doctors, "What happened?" and "Why am I here?" Medical staff said Lee was in a state of mental and physical shock, possibly concerned about the safety of the plane and passengers.
The severity of the crash made it difficult for the fire department to recover the bodies, many of which were charred and torn beyond recognition. Families of the victims gathered at the airport, searching for their loved ones. One family revealed that they had received a text from the victim minutes before the crash, mentioning that a bird was stuck to the plane's wing and asking, "Should I say my last words?"
Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae issued an apology to the families and friends of the victims, and assured the public that the airline is investigating the cause of the accident. The flight’s black boxes, including the data recorder and voice recorder, have been recovered.
The South Korean government declared a period of national mourning for seven days. All flags at government offices will be lowered, and civil servants will wear black ribbons in remembrance. South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, has also launched an investigation into the crash. A team from the USA’s National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Boeing, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will join South Korean authorities in the investigation.
The crash has also drawn condolences from leaders worldwide. Thailand’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, expressed sympathy and instructed the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs to investigate if there were any Thai passengers on board. Chinese President Xi Jinping and UK’s King Charles III also offered their condolences.
This crash is Jeju Air’s first fatal accident since it was founded in 2005, and it is the worst aviation accident in South Korea's history.
As the year 2024 ends, it marks the second major aviation disaster. Earlier this year, on 2nd January 2024, a Japan Airlines flight collided with an earthquake relief aircraft at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, causing many fatalities and injuries. You can watch the video on that incident here: https://youtu.be/r44WJN2deck
For more updates on this incident, you can watch ISH News' video here: https://youtu.be/fCF_X7xqhPg
