New Delhi:
179 people died in a horrific plane crash that took place in South Korea’s south-western county Muan on Sunday, while only two people could survive. This Jeju Air plane going from Bangkok to South Korea crashed while landing. The flight overshot the runway at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do, crashed into a wall and caught fire. There were 181 people on board the plane, including 173 South Korean passengers, 2 Thai passengers and 6 crew members.
A Boeing 737-800 aircraft of Jeju Air was flying from Bangkok to Muen Airport. During the first landing attempt at 9:00 am, the control tower was alerted of a bird strike. A few minutes later, the pilot tried to land the plane again, issuing a ‘mayday’ warning. In the video of the accident, it is seen that an attempt was made to ‘belly landing’ without activating the landing gear of the plane.
In the video, smoke can be seen coming out of the plane and it skids on the runway, then it crashes into the wall and bursts into flames.
A total of 175 passengers and six crew members were on board the ship. Rescue workers pulled out two surviving flight attendants from the debris. The deaths of 179 people have been confirmed.
What caused the accident?
Investigation has been started after the plane crash, but officials suspect that the accident could be due to bird strike and bad weather. Although the airport’s runway was also short, an official said that this was probably not a reason for the accident. “The runway is 2,800 meters long and aircraft of similar size land on it without any problem,” he said.
How dangerous is a bird hit by a plane?
According to the United Nations agency International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), bird collisions can be dangerous for the safety of aircraft and if birds get trapped in the air, it can be even more dangerous for the aircraft. In history, many major accidents have occurred around the world due to bird collisions.
✓DRAMATIC moment South Korean plane with reported 180+ passengers becomes a fireball and crashes at airport CAUGHT on cam pic.twitter.com/VdrdavEXgT
— RT (@RT_com) December 29, 2024
In 2009, a US Airways Airbus A320 crashed into New York’s Hudson River after a bird strike. This incident is known as the “Miracle on the Hudson”, as there was no loss of life.
Where was the plane coming from?
The plane was flying from Bangkok, Thailand, to South Korea’s Muen County, about 288 kilometers (180 miles) southwest of the capital Seoul.
rescue operation
Hundreds of firefighters and other emergency services including the army were deployed to the spot. The acting President of the country declared the incident site a special disaster area.
Government response
This accident happened with the third President in a month of South Korea, which is facing political crisis. Acting President Choi Sang-mok called an emergency meeting with Cabinet members on his third day in office and visited the crash site.
aviation safety record
South Korea’s aviation industry has a strong safety record and the accident was the first fatal accident for Jeju Air.
On August 12, 2007, a Jeju Air-operated Bombardier Q400 carrying 74 passengers skidded off the runway due to strong winds at another southern airport, Busan-Gimhae. A dozen people were injured in this.
Before Sunday’s crash, the deadliest such incident on South Korean soil occurred on April 15, 2002. When Air China’s Boeing 767 plane coming from Beijing collided with a hill near Busan-Gimhae Airport and 129 people were killed.
The most recent fatal accident involving a South Korean airline occurred on July 6, 2013 at San Francisco Airport. Asiana Airlines’ Boeing 777 plane missed landing, killing three people and injuring 182.
The deadliest disaster involving a South Korean airline dates back more than four decades. When a Soviet fighter jet shot down a Boeing 747 over the Sea of ​​Japan. Twenty-three crew and 246 passengers aboard a Korean Air flight en route from New York to Seoul via Alaska were killed in the September 1, 1983 disaster.
