Jeju Air Plane Crash in South Korea: Pilot Declared Mayday, Causes Revealed

Jeju Air Plane Crash in South Korea: The pilot of a plane which crashed in South Korea reported a bird strike and declared mayday minutes before it went down, it has been revealed.

According to the local fire department, just two of the 181 people on board the Jeju Air plane survived the flight from Bangkok, Thailand, to Muan International Airport in South Korea. The two crew members were pulled alive from the crash site.

However, just three minutes later, the airport's control tower warned of the possibility of a bird strike.

Then, a minute after that the captain sent a mayday signal.

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At 9.03 am the plane then failed a crash landing attempt, veering off the runway, slamming into a concrete wall and exploding into flames.

Speaking on the same day, South Korea's acting president, the third person to hold the role this month, said he had ordered an emergency safety inspection of the country's entire airline operation system.

"As soon as the accident recovery is conducted, the transport ministry is requested to conduct an emergency safety inspection of the entire aircraft operation system to prevent recurrence of aircraft accidents," Choi Sang-mok said.

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What caused the accident?

Investigations have begun, with officials focusing on a potential bird strike and adverse weather as possible causes.

“It really has to be a series of catastrophic events that led to such a high loss of life,” aviation consultant Philip Butterworth-Hayes told AFP.

“Crash protection systems on board are extremely robust,” he said, describing the disaster as “the most serious incident I've seen” in recent years.

When asked whether the runway might be too short, one official said this was likely not a factor.

"The runway is 2,800 metres long," or 9,200 feet, “and similar-sized aircraft have been operating on it without issues,” the official said.

Both black boxes the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder have been recovered, Deputy Transport Minister Joo Jong-wan said.

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