South Korea’s deadliest plane crash killed 179 people Sunday when a plane landed on its belly and skidded off the end of the runway, exploding in a fireball as it crashed into a wall at Muan International Airport.
Jeju Air flight 7C2216, coming from the Thai capital Bangkok with 175 passengers and six crew members on board, was attempting to land shortly after 9am local time (9pm Saturday in Brasilia) at the airport in the south of the country, the Ministry of Transport said.
Two crew members survived and were treated for their injuries.
The deadliest plane crash on South Korean soil was also the worst involving a South Korean airline in nearly three decades, according to the Ministry of Transportation.
The twin-engine Boeing 737-800 was seen in a local media video sliding down the runway with no visible landing gear before crashing into navigation equipment and a wall in an explosion of flames and debris.
“Only the tail part retains some of its shape, and the rest (of the plane) seems almost impossible to recognize,” Muan fire chief Lee Jung-hyun said at a news conference.
The two crew members, a man and a woman, were rescued from the burning tail section of the plane, Lee said. They were being treated in hospitals with moderate to serious injuries, the head of the local public health center said.
Authorities searched nearby areas for bodies possibly thrown from the plane, Lee said.
Investigators are looking into bird strikes and weather conditions as possible factors, said Yonhap news agency, which cited airport officials as saying a bird strike may have caused the landing gear to malfunction.
The crash was the worst for a South Korean airline since the Korea Air crash in Guam in 1997, which killed more than 200 people, according to Transportation Ministry data. The worst previous crash on South Korean soil was the Air China crash, which killed 129 people in 2002.
Experts said the bird strike report and the way the plane attempted to land raised more questions than answers.
“A bird strike is not uncommon, just as landing gear problems are not uncommon,” said Geoffrey Thomas, editor of Airline News. “Bird impacts occur much more frequently, but they typically do not alone cause the loss of an aircraft.”
Under global aviation rules, South Korea will conduct a civil investigation into the crash and automatically involve the US National Transportation Safety Board, where the plane was designed and built.
“MY LAST WORDS”
Hours after the crash, family members gathered in the airport’s arrivals area, some crying and hugging each other as Red Cross volunteers distributed blankets.
According to the authorities, many of the victims were residents of nearby areas returning from holidays.
Families screamed and cried as a doctor announced the names of the victims identified by their fingerprints. Documents were distributed so that families could note down their contact details.
A relative spoke into the microphone, asking authorities for more information. “My older brother died and I don’t know what’s going on,” he said. “I do not know.”
Another asked journalists not to film. “We are not monkeys in a zoo,” he said. “We mourn for the families.”
Hearse vehicles lined up outside to take away the bodies and authorities said a temporary morgue had been set up.
According to Reuters witnesses, the crash site smelled of fuel and blood. Workers in protective clothing and masks searched the area, while soldiers searched the bushes.
The control tower issued a bird strike warning and, shortly after, the pilots declared mayday and attempted to land in the opposite direction, a Transport Ministry official said.
A passenger sent a text message to a relative saying a bird was stuck in the wing, News1 reported. The person’s final message was, “Should I say my last words?”
The plane was produced in 2009, the Ministry of Transport said.
The two CFM56-7B26 engines were produced by CFM International, a joint venture between GE Aerospace and France’s Safran, the Transport Ministry said.
A CFM spokesperson said: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jeju Air Flight 2216. We express our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those on board.”
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
