A tragic aviation disaster at Muan International Airport on Sunday, claimed 179 lives when Jeju Air Flight 2216 belly-landed, skidded off the runway, and erupted in flames after crashing into a wall. The Boeing 737-800, arriving from Bangkok, Thailand, carried 175 passengers and six crew members, with only two survivors.
The accident occurred shortly after 9 a.m. local time as the plane approached Muan International Airport. The control tower had issued a bird strike warning shortly before the pilot made a mayday call. Witnesses reported the aircraft traveling at high speed when it made contact with the runway, failing to slow down before crashing into the airport’s perimeter wall.
Preliminary footage shows the plane unable to deploy its landing gear, leading to a belly landing. Experts note that such landings are typically survivable if properly planned, but the crash appeared uncoordinated, resulting in a fatal fireball.
A Jeju Air Flight carrying over 180 Passengers has crashed at Muan International Airport in South Korea, with at least 23 Deaths confirmed so far by Authorities. pic.twitter.com/i9Smqi30F6
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) December 29, 2024
Officials and aviation experts are examining whether bird strikes caused critical damage to the plane’s systems. Muan Airport, located near three major bird sanctuaries, has the highest rate of bird strikes among South Korea’s regional airports, with 10 incidents reported between 2019 and August 2024.
A 2020 environmental assessment warned of heightened risks due to the abundance of bird habitats around the airport.
🇰🇷 Video allegedly showing the moment of bird strike.
One of the two survivors has told doctors he had “already been rescued” when he woke in hospital.
Read more 👇https://t.co/lu6pzBDzEf pic.twitter.com/yIDzdVxOgA
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) December 29, 2024
While bird strikes are a known risk during takeoff and landing, they rarely lead to catastrophic outcomes. Experts, including Geoffrey Thomas of Airline News and Marco Chan of Buckinghamshire New University, pointed out that aircraft like the Boeing 737-800 are designed to withstand bird strikes, even from larger species.
Of the 179 fatalities, 140 have been tentatively identified. Authorities are now working to transfer the remains to families after autopsies.
The recent plane crash comes days after an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 passenger jet crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 people onboard.
