A Jeju Air flight traveling from Bangkok to South Korea crashed on Sunday morning at Muan International Airport, resulting in at least 179 fatalities.
The Boeing 737-800, carrying 181 people, including 175 passengers and six crew members, collided with a barrier shortly after attempting to land. The plane then burst into flames, leaving only two survivors, both flight attendants.
The accident occurred at 9:03 am local time (00:03 GMT), involving a Jeju Air flight that had just arrived from Bangkok, Thailand, carrying 175 passengers and six crew members.
The Boeing 737-800 jet, which was attempting to land in Muan, reportedly encountered a malfunction in its landing gear.
South Korea’s National Fire Agency reported that almost 179 people lost their lives in the blaze.
Two survivors, a crew member and a passenger, were rescued, but hopes for finding more survivors are fading. The fire has since been extinguished, but the scale of the damage has left little chance for recovery.
Bird strike suspected
Authorities have suggested that a bird strike, in combination with adverse weather conditions, likely caused the crash. According to the Ministry of Land, the bird strike warning was issued three minutes before the plane made its attempt to land.
Video footage from the scene shows the plane skidding across the runway on its belly, emitting thick smoke from the engines before slamming into a wall and erupting in flames. "Passengers were ejected from the aircraft after it collided with the wall, leaving little chance of survival," a fire official explained.
South Korea Jeju Air plane crash. - Reuters
The plane, almost entirely destroyed by the impact and subsequent fire, has made identification of the deceased challenging.
Emergency response
The South Korean government has swiftly mobilized resources to support rescue efforts. Acting President Choi Sang-mok, who took office only recently, convened an emergency meeting to oversee the response.
"I believe no words of consolation would suffice for the bereaved families who have suffered this tragedy," said Choi in a statement. The government is dedicating all available resources to manage the aftermath and provide support to the families affected.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan also expressed his condolences, posting on social media: "Deeply saddened to learn about the tragic plane crash at Muan International Airport in Korea resulting in the loss of so many precious lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families."
Aviation safety record
This incident marks the first fatal accident in the history of Jeju Air, one of South Korea’s largest low-cost carriers, which was established in 2005. The airline has previously experienced minor incidents, such as a runway offshoot in 2007, but this is its first fatal crash.
Experts say that South Korea’s aviation industry, known for its solid safety record, has seen relatively few fatal accidents compared to other countries. However, bird strikes remain a global aviation concern due to the potential for catastrophic engine failure if birds are ingested into aircraft engines.
South Korea Jeju Air plane crash. - Reuters
In one notable incident in 2009, a US Airways Airbus A320 famously made a successful emergency landing on the Hudson River after bird strikes disabled both of its engines. This was dubbed the "Miracle on the Hudson" due to the lack of casualties.
Airline response
Jeju Air, along with Boeing, is fully cooperating with the investigation. The airline has apologised for the tragic loss of life and pledged to support the victims' families in every possible way. Boeing, in a statement, expressed its readiness to provide assistance to Jeju Air during the investigation process.
The exact cause of the crash will be determined after a detailed joint investigation between aviation authorities and experts. While a bird strike and weather conditions are the likely causes, authorities caution that all possibilities will be explored.
2024: A tragic year of aviation accidents
2024 has witnessed several deadly crashes worldwide, raising alarm about aviation safety.
The first major crash of the year occurred on August 9 in Brazil, when an ATR-72 aircraft operated by Voepass Airlines crashed in Vinhedo, São Paulo, killing 62 people, including 58 passengers and four crew members.
The plane, which was traveling from Cascavel to Guarulhos, crashed near a residential area and caught fire, making it difficult to identify the victims.
The Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) later determined that the pilots were dealing with icing conditions during the flight.
In Kazakhstan, a crash on Wednesday morning involving Azerbaijan Airlines led to dozens of fatalities. The flight, which was carrying 67 people from Baku to Russia’s Grozny, crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau. 25 survivors were rescued.
Apart from the Jeju Air tragedy, other major crashes have also marred this year. In Japan, on January 2, a collision between a passenger plane and a coast guard aircraft at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport resulted in the deaths of five coast guard members.
Fortunately, all 379 passengers and crew aboard the commercial flight were safely evacuated.
In the United States, Alaska Airlines' Boeing 737 MAX 9 had to make an emergency landing on January 5 after part of its fuselage detached mid-flight. The flight, en route from Oregon to California, landed safely despite the dangerous incident.
There were 171 passengers and six crew members aboard.
Another fatal crash occurred in Nepal on July 24, when a Saurya Airlines flight crashed during takeoff from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport. Of the 19 people aboard, 18 were killed. The pilot, who survived despite his injuries, was later able to provide details about the crash.
Alongside commercial aviation disasters, several military crashes also took place. On January 24, a Russian military plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war was shot down in Belgorod, Russia, by a Ukrainian rocket.
All 74 people on board were killed, including six crew members and 65 Ukrainian soldiers.
On March 12, another Russian aircraft, an IL-76 military cargo plane, crashed in Ivanovo, Russia, killing all 15 people aboard. The crash was attributed to a fire that broke out in one of the plane’s engines.
Additionally, on July 12, a Sukhoi Superjet 100 crashed during a flight from Tretyakovo Airport to Vnukovo Airport, killing all three crew members.
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