Deadly South Korea Plane Crash: New Details Emerge from Muan Airport Tragedy
A passenger plane in South Korea skidded off the runway during landing, hit a concrete guardrail, and caught fire, killing 179 people
On December 29, a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 skidded off the runway during landing at Muan International Airport in South Korea, resulting in the deaths of at least 179 people, with only two crew members surviving. The aircraft, returning from Bangkok with 181 individuals on board, failed to deploy its landing gear and collided with a concrete guardrail, causing a significant explosion. Rescue efforts were promptly initiated, and while 65 victims have been identified, the aircraft was largely unrecognizable.
Authorities are investigating potential causes, including bird strikes and weather conditions, with flight data and cockpit voice recorders recovered. In the wake of the tragedy, U.S. President Joe Biden expressed solidarity with South Korea, offering assistance, while the country declared seven days of national mourning. Jeju Air and Boeing have both extended condolences and committed to managing the aftermath of the incident.
Key Concepts
- A Jeju Air passenger plane skidded off the runway at Muan International Airport, resulting in at least 179 fatalities.
- The Boeing 737-800 was returning from Bangkok with 181 individuals on board when it failed to deploy its landing gear.
- The aircraft collided with a concrete guardrail, leading to a significant explosion upon impact.
- Rescue efforts were promptly initiated, with fire trucks dispatched to the crash site.
- Only two crew members survived the incident, while 65 victims have been identified so far.
- The condition of the aircraft was described as largely unrecognizable, with only the tail remaining intact.
- Authorities are investigating potential causes of the crash, including bird strikes and weather conditions.
- The flight data and cockpit voice recorders have been recovered to aid in the investigation.
- U.S. President Joe Biden expressed condolences and offered assistance to South Korea following the tragedy.
- The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading a team of U.S. investigators to assist in the investigation.
- This incident is the deadliest aviation disaster involving a South Korean airline since the 1997 Korean Air crash in Guam.
- South Korea has declared seven days of national mourning in response to the tragedy.
- Jeju Air issued an apology and committed to managing the aftermath of the incident.
- Boeing expressed its condolences and confirmed its readiness to assist Jeju Air and the victims’ families.
- Two Thai nationals were on board the flight, with the majority of passengers believed to be Korean.
South Korean authorities said a passenger plane skidded off the runway during landing on Sunday (December 29), hit a concrete guardrail, and caught fire, killing at least 179 people.
Preliminary reports showed that the Jeju Air passenger plane failed to open its landing gear when it landed at Muan International Airport, about 290 kilometers from Seoul. The plane was returning from Bangkok at the time, with 181 passengers and crew on board.
This is one of the deadliest air crashes in South Korea.
“Of the 179 victims, 65 have been identified,” the South Korean fire department said.
Two crew members were rescued from the rubble and survived.
Video footage broadcast by South Korean television showed that the Boeing 737-800 rushed across the runway at high speed and hit the concrete guardrail, causing a huge explosion.
Dozens of fire trucks rushed to the scene to extinguish the fire.
“Only the tail of the plane still has some shape; the rest of the plane is almost unrecognizable,” Lee Jung-Hyun, head of the Muan Fire Department, told reporters as he described the plane’s condition.
Lee added that investigators looked at bird strikes and weather conditions as possible factors in the accident.
Joo Jong-wan, an official with the South Korean Ministry of Transport, said the flight data and cockpit voice recorders had been recovered.
After the crash, U.S. President Joe Biden said the United States stood ready to provide any necessary assistance.
“As close allies, the American people share a deep friendship with the Korean people, and our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this tragedy. The United States stands ready to provide any assistance necessary,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a post on X that it is leading a team of U.S. investigators to assist South Korea in its investigation of the plane crash. Officials from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration will also be involved.
Sunday’s crash was the worst aviation accident involving a South Korean airline since 1997. In 1997, a Korean Air passenger plane crashed in Guam, killing more than 200 people.
South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok, who was appointed interim leader just last Friday, traveled to the crash site after an emergency cabinet meeting.
“All government agencies are working closely together to manage the impact of the accident… and making every effort to ensure that the families of the victims are fully supported,” he said.
South Korea declared seven days of national mourning after the air crash.
After the fatal crash on Sunday, Jeju Air issued an apology and promised to “do its utmost to manage the consequences of the accident.”
Boeing said it was in contact with Jeju Air and “stands ready to help.”
“We express our deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones, and our hearts are with the passengers and crew,” Boeing said in a statement.
Transport Ministry officials said two Thais were on board, and the rest were believed to be Koreans.
Thai officials said there was nothing wrong with the plane when it left Bangkok.
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