South Korea was shaken on Monday by the tragic loss of 179 lives following a plane crash-landing and subsequent fire involving a Jeju Air aircraft. A team of investigators from the US has joined local experts to determine the causes of the incident.
The Boeing 737-800, flying from Thailand to South Korea, met with disaster upon landing on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of nearly all on board except for two flight attendants who were rescued from the severely damaged aircraft in what has become the gravest aviation disaster on South Korean soil.
A bird strike is currently considered the probable cause of the crash, which ejected passengers and left the plane almost entirely destroyed, according to statements from firefighting personnel.
Footage revealed the moment Jeju Air Flight 2216 attempted a belly landing at Muan International Airport, skidding off the runway with smoke billowing from the engines before colliding with a wall and erupting into flames.
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has announced that it will spearhead an investigative team, which includes representatives from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), to explore what triggered the crash in a country known for its robust air safety record.
Both flight recorders, the data, and the cockpit voice recorders, have been retrieved.
A flight attendant who survived was alert and speaking in a hospital by late Sunday, as reported by the Yonhap news agency.
“I was already rescued when I regained consciousness,” the 33-year-old survivor told medical staff, as per the hospital’s report.
He sustained multiple fractures, and another crew member, a 25-year-old woman, suffered injuries to her ankle and head, according to Yonhap.
Family members in mourning convened at the airport terminal late on Sunday, anxiously awaiting updates.
An official announced the names of 65 identified victims, each name bringing forth a new wave of sorrow among the families.
At Muan, positioned roughly 288 kilometers southwest of Seoul, rescue teams under the glare of floodlights raised the scorched remains of the aircraft using a large yellow crane.
Debris from the plane, including seat parts and luggage, littered the area adjacent to the runway, close to the burnt tail section.
“All passengers were Korean except for two Thai nationals, a three-year-old and a 78-year-old,” the authorities stated.
An elderly man, waiting in the airport lounge and preferring to remain unnamed, disclosed to AFP, “I lost my son in that plane crash.”
“My younger sister ascended to heaven today,” a 65-year-old woman, who gave only her surname, Jo, told AFP.
Authorities noted that efforts are ongoing to identify all the deceased.
Shortly before the disaster, the control tower had alerted of a potential bird strike, followed by the pilot’s distress call of “mayday.”
Despite speculation, officials confirmed that the runway’s length did not contribute to the tragic outcome.
National Mourning
Jeju Air, a budget airline, extended its deepest apologies, evidenced by the profound bow from its executives during a press conference in Seoul.
Boeing has communicated its readiness to assist Jeju Air during this difficult time.
Following the accident, South Korea’s interim President Choi Sang-mok, who assumed his role just days prior, called an urgent cabinet meeting and visited the crash site.
President Joe Biden of the United States expressed profound sorrow, leading international condolences.
A national week of mourning has been declared in South Korea, with memorial services planned across the country.
This incident marks the first fatal crash in the history of Jeju Air, a leading budget carrier in South Korea since its inception in 2005.
Globally, several fatal aviation accidents have been attributed to bird strikes, which can lead to catastrophic engine failures when birds are ingested.
