A Jeju Air flight from Bangkok to South Korea tragically crashed at Muan International Airport on Sunday. According to The Korea Times, of the 181 people onboard, 96 bodies have been recovered, while 2 survivors were rescued. The remaining 76 passengers are presumed dead.
As reported by Yonhap News Agency, the crash occurred due to a malfunction in the aircraft's landing gear. The pilot was forced to land the plane without deploying the landing gear. After touching down, the plane skidded along the runway, collided with the airport's boundary fence, and crashed.
Key Details:
- Aircraft: Boeing 737-800 operated by Jeju Air
- Time of Crash: 5:37 AM IST (9:07 AM local time)
- Passengers & Crew: 175 passengers, 6 crew members
- Survivors: 2, both crew members
- Rescue Operations: Fire extinguished in 43 minutes; focus on the plane's rear section where most passengers were seated.
Sequence of Events:
- The aircraft attempted to land twice; the landing gear failed to deploy both times.
- Reports suggest bird strikes may have caused the landing gear malfunction.
- During the second landing attempt, the plane landed without landing gear, resulting in a skid, an explosion, and a subsequent fire.
Aftermath:
- All domestic and international flights at Muan International Airport have been canceled.
- The majority of the passengers were South Korean citizens, with two passengers from Thailand.
- Rescue operations are ongoing, with emergency services working to recover passengers from the wreckage.
This incident comes just four days after a plane crash in Kazakhstan, where an Azerbaijani aircraft crashed near Aktau Airport, killing 38 of the 67 onboard.
