South Korea Plane Crash: 179 Passengers Dead, Only 2 Crew Members Survive

South Korea Plane Crash: On Sunday, a Jeju Air flight coming from Thailand and carrying 181 passengers crashed as it tried to land in South Korea. The plane smashed into a barrier and erupted into flames, killing everyone on board, save for 2 passengers.

Authorities suspect that bad weather, coupled with a bird strike, might have caused the crash. According to fire officials, the passengers were thrown out of the aircraft, leaving it "almost completely destroyed" after the impact.

Footage captured the Jeju Air aircraft, arriving from Bangkok, landing on its belly at Muan International Airport. It then skidded off the runway, with smoke billowing from the engines, before crashing into a wall and bursting into flames.

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"Passengers were ejected from the aircraft after it collided with the wall, leaving little chance of survival," stated in a release by the fire brigade, a local fire official informed families at the briefing.

"The plane is almost completely destroyed, and identifying the deceased is proving difficult. The process is taking time as we locate and recover the remains," he was quoted as saying.

By the early evening, the fire department stated that only two individuals were rescued, both of whom were flight attendants, while 179 were confirmed dead.

Onlookers could see plane seats and luggage littered across a field next to the runway, not far from the burnt tail, giving them a glimpse into the extent of the crash's catastrophic effects.

Tears in airport terminal

A group of frightened family members of passengers onboard Jeju Air Flight 2216 was waiting inside the airport terminal for news regarding their relatives. The names, birth dates, and nationality of victims were displayed on the airport's information boards, which usually show arrival and departure information.

Reports for the Ministry of Land indicated that the accident happened on Sunday at 09.03 local time when it was landing as it was carrying 175 passengers, including 2 Thai nationals, and was crewed by 6 crew members.

Indeed, it was a quick-fire series of developments, according to the ministry. "It took approximately three minutes from the control tower's mention of a bird strike warning to the aircraft's attempt to land on the runway again," two minutes before the crash, according to the ministry, the pilot issued a Mayday call.

An official dismissed the speculation that the length of the runway had anything to do with the crash when asked. Video footage shows the plane veering off the tarmac and colliding with a wall. However, the official noted, "The runway is 2,800 metres long, and similar-sized aircraft have been operating on it without issues... It is unlikely that the accident was caused by the length of the runway."

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"However, the exact cause will be announced following a joint investigation," Lee said.

"We sincerely apologise for causing concern," the airline said in a statement posted on its social media channels.

Boeing reflected in a statement that it was easily in touch with Jeju Air and stood "ready to support them".

Engulfed Fire Plane

"I believe no words of consolation would suffice for the bereaved families who have suffered this tragedy," said Choi.

"The entire government is working closely together to manage the aftermath of the accident, dedicating all available resources, while making every effort to ensure thorough support for the bereaved families," he added.

This is the first time Jeju Air, one of South Korea's largest low-cost carriers, established in 2005, has had a fatal accident in its history.

Many such deadly aviation accidents happen globally due to bird strikes, which may result in a loss of power when sucked into the air intakes.

In 2009, a US Airways Airbus A320 famously made a landing in New York's Hudson River after bird strikes to both its engines in an incident nicknamed "Miracle on the Hudson", which because there were no loss of life, was widely spoken about.

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