South Korea plane crash latest: Grieving families camp out at airport as experts doubt bird strike theory
Jeju Air’s passenger plane smashed into a concrete wall after an emergency landing at Muan international airport in South Korea
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Your support makes all the difference.Families of the 179 people killed in the Jeju Air disaster have been camping out at the airport as they demand answers over the deadliest crash in South Korea’s history.
Hundreds of family members are still camped out at the Muan International Airport to see the bodies of their loved ones.
Some, who have lost generations in the crash, jostled and argued with officials, angry that they’ve still not been able to see the bodies.
One official told the crowds they are unable to view the deceased as their bodies were “very badly damaged”, according to the BBC.
Authorities have confirmed that all 175 passengers, as well as four of the six crew, were killed in the incident. The only two survivors were crew sitting at the back of the plane at the time of the crash.
Experts said it seemed unlikely a bird strike would have been the sole cause of the landing gear malfunctioning.
Australian airline safety expert Geoffrey Dell said: “I’ve never seen a bird strike prevent the landing gear from being extended.”
South Korea plane crash: Everything we know about country’s worst domestic air disaster
Distraught families want answers after 179 people die in South Korea’s deadliest domestic air disaster
Jeju Air CEO bows in apology after South Korea deadly plane crash
Moment South Korea plane skids along runway before fiery crash
Experts question bird strike claims
Experts have questioned whether a bird strike could have caused the undercarriage to fail after a flight with 181 people onboard crashed in South Korea yesterday.
All but two of the 181 people aboard Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 died on Sunday morning after the plane embarked on an unsuccessful emergency landing at South Korea’s Maun International airport. It had flown in from the Thai capital of Bangkok, carrying dozens of Christmas holidaymakers.
Among the passengers were five children under the age of 10, including a three-year-old.
Horrifying footage showed the plane skidding across the runway before colliding with a brick wall and bursting into flames. The only two survivors were two crew members who had been seated at the back of the plane.
More here.
Why did the South Korean Jeju Air flight crash? Experts question bird strike claims
Aviation specialists question how a collision with birds could have been the sole cause of such a crash
US investigators help South Korea in probe after crash
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading a team of US investigators to help South Korea‘s aviation authority in its investigation of the Jeju Air crash in Muan, the agency said.
Planemaker Boeing BA.N and the Federal Aviation Administration are participating, NTSB said.
Watch: Moment South Korea plane skids along runway before fiery crash
A Jeju Air passenger plane carrying 181 people skidded down the runway at Muan International Airport in South Korea on Sunday, December 29, before crashing.
The aircraft appeared to land without its landing gear deployed as it touched down on the tarmac, skidding and veering off the runway before slamming into a wall and bursting into flames.
Watch here.
Jeju Air: Moment South Korea plane skids along runway before fiery crash
A Jeju Air passenger plane carrying 181 people skidded down the runway at Muan International Airport in South Korea on Sunday, December 29, before crashing. Yonhap news agency, citing firefighting authorities reported that, except for the two rescued, all the missing passengers are presumed dead and search efforts have now shifted to recovering the bodies. The aircraft appeared to land without its landing gear deployed as it touched down on the tarmac, skidding and veering off the runway before slamming into a wall and bursting into flames. Jeju Air flight 7C2216, arriving from the Thai capital of Bangkok, was landing shortly after 9am (0000 GMT) at the airport in the country’s south, South Korea’s transport ministry said.
Keir Starmer pays tribute
Sir Keir Starmer sent his “deepest condolences” to the victims of a plane crash in South Korea which killed 179 people.
“I send my deepest condolences to the victims and families of those who lost their lives in the tragic plane crash in Muan,” the Prime Minister said.
“I pay tribute to the work of the emergency responders and my thoughts are with the people of the Republic of Korea and Thailand at this terrible time.”
Another Jeju Air jet experiences landing-gear issue - report
A Jeju Air aircraft that departed from Gimpo Airport in Seoul for Jeju today experienced an unidentified landing-gear issue after take-off and returned to Gimpo, Yonhap news agency reported.
The aircraft landed safely at the Gimpo airport, it added.
This comes a day after a Jeju Air flight crashed at the Muan international airport yesterday, killing all 175 passengers along with four crew members
.One of the survivors was being treated for fractures to his ribs, shoulder blade and upper spine, said Ju Woong, director of the Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital.
Ju said the man, whose name was not released, told doctors he “woke up to find (himself) rescued”. Details on the other survivor were not immediately available.
In pics: Wreckage of the Jeju Air flight
Father of woman killed says the tragedy is unbelievable
Jeon Je-young keeps playing the video of the plane with his daughter and another 180 people on board slamming into a wall and bursting into flames at a South Korean airport.
His daughter Mi-sook died on board. He still can’t believe it.
“When I saw the accident video, the plane seemed out of control,” 71-year-old Jeon told Reuters. “The pilots probably had no choice but to do it. My daughter, who is only in her mid-40s, ended up like this. This is unbelievable.”
Mi-sook was a warm-hearted child, he said. She brought some food and next year’s calendar to his house on 21 December, which became his last brief moment with her.
“She is much nicer than my son, sometimes asking me to go out for a meal,” Jeon recalled, showing his last exchanges with his daughter on his mobile phone.
Jeon’s daughter had been on her way home after travelling with friends to Bangkok for the Christmas holiday. She leaves behind a devastated family, including a husband and teenage daughter.
“The water near the airport is not deep. Here are softer fields than this cement runway. Why couldn’t the pilot land there instead?” Jeon said.
“She was almost home, so (she saw) no need to call the family (to leave any final message). She thought she was coming home,” Jeon said.
Jeju Air flight black boxes recovered
Both the black boxes for the Jeju Air flight that crashed on Sunday killing 179 people have been recovered, the South Korean authorities said.
Investigators retrieved the jet’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders, said senior transport ministry official Joo Jong-wan. He said it may take months to complete the probe into the crash.
The chief of the Muan fire station, Lee Jeong-hyeon, told a televised briefing that the plane was completely destroyed, with only the tail assembly still recognizable in the wreckage.
South Korean health ministry to provide counseling services to greiving families
The South Korean health ministry has sent funeral directors to help with funeral preparations and planned to offer professional counselling to the injured and family members of the victims, according to Yonhap news agency.
South Korea orders air safety probe after Jeju Air crash
South Korea’s acting president Choi Sang-mok has ordered an emergency safety inspection of the country’s entire airline operation system as investigators worked to identify victims of the Jeju Air crash.
All 175 passengers and four of the six crew were killed when a Jeju Air flight elly-landed and skidded off the end of the runway at Muan International Airport, erupting in a fireball as it slammed into a wall. Two crew members were pulled out alive.
“Even before the final results are out, we ask that officials transparently disclose the accident investigation process and promptly inform the bereaved families,” Mr Choi said.
“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,” he said.
The transport ministry said authorities were considering whether to conduct a special inspection of all 101 Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by South Korean airliners.
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