What Caused The Catastrophic Jeju Air Plane Crash That Killed 179 People In South Korea?

A Jeju Air passenger plane from Bangkok crash-landed at an airport in southwestern South Korea on Sunday. The fatal accident caused 179 casualties with only two survivors. An investigation is underway to know more about the incident. The officials are speculating that a bird strike was the potential reason for this plane crash. Scroll on to know more about this.

What Caused The Fatal Jeju Air Plane Crash?

A Boeing 737-800 operated by low-cost carrier Jeju Air crashed while landing in South Korea. The aircraft was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members. Of them, only two crew members survived the fatal crash. According to Hindustan Times, the control tower warned the officials of a bird strike during its first landing attempt at Muan Airport, after departing from Bangkok.

A few moments later, the pilot declared a “mayday” and attempted to land again. A viral video circulating on social media shows the flight attempting a belly landing while its landing gear remained retracted. The Jeju Air flight then skidded along the runway before crashing into a wall at the end and bursting into flames.

Initial investigations have been launched and, as per reports, the officials are focusing on the bird strike as one of the possible causes. They have ruled out the possibility of a short runway as similar flights have been operating there without any issues. As per the latest updates, the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder have been recovered, which will help the investigators know more about the incident.

Also Read: South Korea Flight With 181 Passengers Bursts Into Flames While Landing At Muan International Airport; 179 Feared Dead

Investigation Underway To Know More About The Crash

🤯 179 dead. Passenger plane crashes while landing in South Korea, – Yonhap.

Only 2 survived. The Jeju Air plane was returning from Bangkok. It went beyond the runway, crashed into a fence and exploded. The cause is likely a bird strike. pic.twitter.com/eOCvqvtHXj

— Eugene Dnipro 🇺🇦 (@EvgeniyDnepr390) December 29, 2024

As for now, the plane crash site has been declared a special disaster zone. A full investigation into what caused the deadly disaster is still underway. Besides the bird collision, bad weather is also being considered as another cause of the Jeju Air plane crash on Sunday. However, aviation analysts say they need more evidence before South Korean authorities can confirm the actual cause of this incident.

Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae issued a statement and said that he takes full responsibility for the crash. He expressed remorse for the incident and even issued an apology.

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More details about this incident are awaited. We hope the concerned authorities are able to find out what actually caused the Jeju Air plane crash in South Korea.

Cover Image Courtesy: X/@mog_russEN