A Jeju Air plane flying from Bangkok to South Korea with 181 people on board crashed on landing with 179 of the 181 passengers and crew presumed dead by authorities
The flight crashed while attempting to land at Muan International Airport in south-western South Korea on Sunday morning.
All but two of the people onboard Flight 7C2216 are presumed dead, according to local fire authorities. Two people were pulled from the tail section and are receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.
Among the 175 passengers aboard the flight, 173 were Korean nationals and two were Thai nationals, officials have said.
Here’s what to know about the crash so far
What happened?
A Boeing 737-800 aircraft belonging to low-cost carrier Jeju Air, flying from Bangkok to Muan airport, was warned of a bird strike by the control tower, officials said, during its first attempt at landing shortly after 9:00 am (midnight GMT).
Minutes later, with the pilot issuing a “mayday” warning, it tried to land again, with video showing it attempting a “belly landing” without its landing gear activated.
Video shows the plane skidding along the runway with smoke trailing out until it hits a wall at the end and bursts into flames.
Witnesses reported hearing loud “bang” noises before the aircraft struck the wall. Local broadcaster MBC aired footage that appears to show a bird strike incident as the plane was descending. Officials have also said weather conditions may have played a role.
If the death toll is confirmed, it would be South Korea’s worst domestic civil aviation disaster and marks the first major casualty incident involving a low-cost carrier in the country’s history.
What caused the accident?
Investigations have been launched, but officials suspect the accident could have been caused by a bird strike and adverse weather conditions.
When asked if the accident happened due to the runway being too short — video shows the plane coming off the tarmac and hitting a wall — one official said this was likely not a factor.
“The runway is 2,800 metres long, and similar-sized aircraft have been operating on it without issues,” they said.
What is a bird strike and how harmful is it?
A bird strike is a collision between a bird and an aircraft in flight.
A bird strike can be hazardous to aircraft safety and jets are especially vulnerable to loss of power if birds are sucked into the air intakes, according to the UN agency International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Several fatal accidents have occurred globally due to bird strikes.
But in 2009, a US Airways Airbus A320 famously ditched in New York’s Hudson River after a bird strike on both of its engines, in an incident widely known as the “Miracle on the Hudson” because there was no loss of life.
Where was the plane coming from?
The plane was flying from Bangkok, Thailand to South Korea’s Muan county, about 288 kilometres (180 miles) southwest of the national capital Seoul.
Passengers on board, survivors
There were a total of 175 passengers and six crew members onboard. Rescue workers plucked out two survivors — both flight attendants — from the wreckage. As of mid-afternoon, 124 people have been confirmed dead.
Officials said there was “little chance of survival,” for others, adding that the plane was “almost completely destroyed,” during the crash.
Rescue operation
Hundreds of firefighters and other emergency responders, including the military, were deployed to the area, with the country’s acting president designating the site a special disaster zone.
Authorities said families were waiting on the first floor of the Muan airport. Many were seen crying in despair as they heard the news.
Aviation safety record
South Korea’s aviation industry has a solid safety record and the crash was the first fatal accident for Jeju Air.
A Jeju Air-operated Bombardier Q400 carrying 74 passengers veered off the runway due to strong winds at another southern airport, Busan-Gimhae on August 12, 2007. A dozen people were injured.
Reactions
The accident occurred with South Korea in the throes of a political crisis, with its third president in a month. Acting President Choi Sang-mok, on his third day in office, convened an emergency meeting with cabinet members to discuss the rescue operation and response and visited the crash scene.
Sang-mok arrived at the scene approximately 300km south-west of Seoul and ordered “all available equipment and personnel to be mobilised” for the rescue operations at the airport.
“No words of consolation will be enough for the families who have suffered such a tragedy,” he said.
Jeju Air chief executive, Kim E-bae, has issued an official apology saying: “Above all, we express our deepest condolences and apologies to the families of the passengers who lost their lives in this accident. At present, the cause of the accident is difficult to determine, and we must await the official investigation results from the relevant government agencies. Regardless of the cause, as CEO, I feel profound responsibility for this incident.”
South Korea’s national rail operator has announced a special train service to help victims’ families reach the disaster site. A bullet train will depart Seoul at 3 pm local time and arrive at Mokpo. The railway company says bereaved families can use these services free of charge and additional trains will be arranged if needed. Mokpo station is the closest rail terminal to Muan International Airport.
The Muan-Bangkok route was part of the airport’s first international services in 17 years, launched just three weeks ago, on 8 December.
Experts said South Korea’s aviation industry has a solid track record for safety, and this was the first fatal accident Jeju Air, one of South Korea’s largest low-cost carriers, had experienced since it was launched in 2005.
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