In a tragic aviation incident in South Korea, a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crashed while landing at Muan airport, approximately 290 kilometers from Seoul, on December 29. The crash occurred at 9:03 am after the plane, unable to deploy its front landing gear, skidded off the runway and collided with a concrete fence, leading to an explosion and fire. This disaster claimed the lives of 179 out of 181 individuals onboard, marking one of South Korea’s worst air disasters. The passengers were primarily South Korean, with two Thai nationals among the fatalities. Emergency teams managed to rescue two surviving crew members, who are now in stable condition.
The South Korean fire agency responded by deploying 32 fire trucks, helicopters, and over 1,500 personnel, but the plane wreckage was largely consumed by flames, leaving only the tail partially recognizable. The country’s Transport Ministry revealed that the control tower had issued a bird strike warning to the aircraft, allowing the pilot to land elsewhere. A distress signal was sent before the aircraft overshot the runway, crashing into a buffer zone before the tragic impact with the wall.
Officials have recovered the plane’s black box, containing flight data and cockpit voice recordings, to explore the cause. The investigations are expected to take months, with preliminary insights suggesting a bird strike as a possible cause. The runway will remain closed until January 1, pending further inquiry results.
In response to the disaster, Thailand’s Prime Minister expressed condolences to the victims’ families while Jeju Air extended apologies, promising cooperation with the investigation. Boeing also offered support to Jeju Air. The ongoing investigation aims to determine the technical issues contributing to this tragic event.
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2024/12/30/south-korean-plane-skids-off-runway-burts-into-flames/
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Publish Date: 2024-12-30 03:59:00
