A Jeju Air plane carrying 181 people from Bangkok to South Korea crashed on landing on Sunday, killing all but two people who were rescued from the wreckage.
This is what we know so far.
What happened?
A Boeing 737-800 plane of low-cost carrier Jeju Air, which was flying from Bangkok to Muen Airport, was shot down during its first landing attempt shortly after 9:00 a.m. (midnight), officials said. A bird strike warning was given by the control tower. GMT).
A few minutes later, with the pilot issuing a “mayday” warning, it tried to land again, with video showing that it was attempting a “belly landing” without activating its landing gear.
Dramatic video shows the plane sliding down the runway, spewing smoke, until it finally hits a wall and bursts into flames.
What caused the accident?
An investigation has been initiated, but officials suspect that the accident may have been caused by bird strike and adverse weather conditions.
When asked whether the runway being too short caused the crash – video shows the plane coming off the tarmac and hitting a wall – an official said it was probably not a factor.
“The runway is 2,800 meters long and aircraft of similar size are operating on it without any problem,” he said.
What is bird strike and how harmful is it?
A bird strike is a collision between a bird and an aircraft in flight.
According to the United Nations agency International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), bird strikes can be dangerous to aircraft safety and jets are particularly vulnerable to power loss if birds become trapped in the air. Many fatal accidents have occurred globally due to bird strikes.
But in 2009, a US Airways Airbus A320 plunged into New York’s Hudson River after a bird strike on both of its engines, an incident widely known as the “Miracle on the Hudson” because there was no loss of life. Had not happened.
Where was the plane coming from?
The plane was flying from Bangkok, Thailand to Muen County, South Korea, about 288 kilometers (180 miles) southwest of the national capital Seoul.
boat passengers and survivors
There were a total of 175 passengers and six crew members on board. Rescue workers pulled two survivors – both flight attendants – from the debris. Till noon, the deaths of 124 people have been confirmed.
Officials said the other people had “little chance of survival”, adding that the plane was “almost completely destroyed” during the crash.
rescue operation
Hundreds of firefighters and other emergency responders, including the military, were deployed to the area, with the country’s acting president designating the site a special disaster area.
Officials said the families were waiting on the first floor of Muan Airport. Many people were seen crying in despair upon hearing this news.
aviation safety record
South Korea’s aviation industry has a solid 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.
Government response
The accident occurred with the third president in a month of South Korea, which is facing political crisis. Acting President Choi Sang-mok, on his third day in office, called an emergency meeting with cabinet members to discuss the rescue operation and response and visited the crash site.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
