Tragedy in South Korea: Over 170 Lives Lost in Devastating Jet Crash – What We Know So Far

More than 170 killed after South Korean jet crash-lands at airport. Here’s what we know

A passenger jet that was hurtling down the runway on its belly before exploding in flames killed dozens of people when it crashed into an airport in southwestern South Korea on Sunday.

According to the local fire service, at least 177 individuals have been officially declared deceased thus far. Out of the 181 persons on board the plane, only two are missing after two crew members were rescued alive from the accident scene.

It is the deadliest aviation accident to strike South Korea since a Boeing 747 operated by Korean Airlines crashed in the Guam jungle in 1997, killing 228 people.

What took place?

Just after 9 a.m. local time on Sunday (7 p.m. ET on Saturday), Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 from Bangkok was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members when the catastrophe occurred at the airport in Muan county, on the southwest tip of the country.

Several South Korean news sites carried footage of the disaster on Sunday, showing the jet sliding quickly on its belly before colliding with an earthen embankment and exploding in a flame.

The video, which was aired by networks like YTN, JTBC, and MBC, showed smoke pouring from the back of the sliding aircraft but did not show the front or rear landing gear.

The burning wreckage of the aircraft, identified on flight-tracking website FlightAware as a Boeing 737-800, was eventually put out by firefighters using water cannons. The runway was also littered with various pieces of the aircraft.

According to the South Jeolla Fire Service, there were 82 men and 83 women among the victims, along with 12 individuals whose gender was unknown. The rescue squad identified the two survivors as male and female crew members.

The South Korean Land Ministry said that two Thai nationals were among those on board. Every other traveler was from South Korea.

What led to the mishap?

The plane’s undercarriage, or the wheels used for takeoff and landing, did not seem to have fully deployed before landing, according to experts who spoke to CNN. However, it is still unknown what led to this deployment failure.

According to aviation professionals, more information is required before South Korean authorities can conclusively identify the cause of Sunday’s incident, including local officials’ conjectures regarding a potential bird strike before the crash landing.

Following a media briefing by Lee Jeong-hyun, the Director of the Muan Fire Department, who stated that the cause was “estimated to be the occurrence of a bird strike or bad weather,” the remarks were made. Clear skies were visible during the collision, according to the footage.

“Speculation is the worst enemy of an investigator,” according to former Federal Aviation Administration safety inspector David Soucie.

In fact, the material is secured throughout an investigation into an aviation disaster, which is why it is so secure. “They shouldn’t be speculating about this kind of thing,” Soucie told Paula Newton of CNN.

Soucie’s worries were echoed by aviation industry consultant Scott Hamilton, who called on South Korean officials to “stop making declarative statements” at this point.

Given that the aircraft and carrier had a solid safety record and that the flight circumstances were great, the incident on Sunday is “very perplexing,” according to an aviation journalist.

Geoffrey Thomas, editor of Airline News, told CNN’s Paula Newton that the Boeing 737-800 is one of the most popular aircraft in the world and that each one is utilized for roughly four or five flights per day.

He declared, “It has been in operation for 20 years and is the most dependable aircraft in the world.” “Everyone is aware of how it operates. And it’s quite effective. Additionally, the upkeep performed in [South] Korea is of the highest caliber worldwide.

There is some uncertainty as to whether the undercarriage collapsed upon landing or if it was never deployed. Investigators will undoubtedly be paying close attention to this very serious matter,” Thomas continued.

Given that aircraft was landing at a reputable airport in dry, sunny weather, he continued, “it is perplexing” that the tragedy occurred.

In the wake of two 737 Max crashes in recent years, the US aviation behemoth Boeing decided to enter a guilty plea to lying to the Federal Aviation Administration about the plane’s certification process.

The Boeing 737-800, an older and distinct type from the Max, has been characterized by analysts as a dependable workhorse of the skies with an exceptionally high safety record.

The chief executive of Jeju Air stated that before Sunday’s tragedy, the aircraft had displayed “no signs of issues.”

During a news conference at the airport, Kim Yi-bae stated, “At this time, it is difficult to determine the cause of the accident, and we have to wait for the official announcement of the investigation by the relevant government agency.”

Where is the focus of the investigation?

The national Incident Investigation Committee officers had come to investigate the accident’s cause.

In order to prevent the possible bird strike, the control tower had told the pilot to alter course and land in the opposite direction, according to a briefing from the Land Ministry. The pilot did what he was told.

The pilot sent a mayday call to the tower about a minute later. The ministry said the landing attempt happened about two minutes after the mayday call. The probe is still ongoing.

According to ministry authorities, the accident investigation team has found the “black box” flight data recorder but has not yet recovered the voice recording device.

When aviation safety investigators are trying to piece together an occurrence, the flight data recorders, also known as “black boxes,” provide vital information.

According to the ministry, around 700 law enforcement, military, and coast guard personnel have been called up to assist with on-site reaction activities.

What are the officials saying?

The location of Sunday’s jet crash has been designated as a special disaster zone, according to South Korea’s acting president, who also promised a thorough inquiry into the reason of the fatal accident.

“We will focus all of our resources on helping the victims recover and get support.” A specific disaster zone has been established, and all required resources are being mobilized,” Choi Sang-mok said in a statement.

Choi, who visited the crash scene on Sunday, offered his “sincere condolences to the bereaved families” and promised to do everything in his power to control the fallout and stop future occurrences of the same kind of tragedy.

The tragedy occurs just two days into Choi’s interim president, which is the most recent development in South Korea’s political turmoil.

Following a brief martial law decree that left the nation in political turmoil, parliament two weeks ago removed Yoon Suk Yeol, the current president, from office. While a high court makes a decision regarding his future, he is temporarily suspended.

Choi, the finance minister and deputy prime minister, took over as president when Han Duck-soo, the man who replaced Yoon as interim president, was impeached by parliament on Friday.

What did the manufacturer of the aircraft say?

Boeing sent their sympathies to the families of those killed in the collision.

In a brief statement uploaded to its X account, Boeing stated, “We are in contact with Jeju Air regarding Flight 2216 and stand ready to support them.”

“Our thoughts are with the passengers and crew, and we offer our sincere condolences to the families who lost loved ones,” the business continued.

In recent years, the US aviation behemoth has experienced a number of setbacks, including two 737 Max crashes, for which the firm pleaded guilty to misleading the Federal Aviation Administration during the plane’s certification process.