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.”
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WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT: Victims being identified by fingerprints says firefighter
Firefighters described the crash site as overwhelmingly grim as they worked to identify the victims for families camped outside.
“There’s no way to describe it except as utterly horrific,” said a firefighter.
“It was impossible to identify the victims by their faces or even their locations.
“We had to go through the passenger list and painstakingly match any fingerprints we could find.”
Key timings of the crash
Below, we have some key timings of the Jeju Air plane crash earlier today, according to South Korea’s transport ministry. They show local times in South Korea.
08:57 a.m. - Control tower issued a bird strike warning
08:59 a.m. - Mayday call
09:03 a.m. - Runway crash
11:30 a.m. - Flight data recorder recovered
2:24 p.m. - Cockpit voice recorder recovered
Why did the South Korean Jeju Air flight crash, killing 179? Experts question bird strike claims
Experts said it seemed unlikely a bird strike would have been the sole cause of the landing gear malfunctioning.
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
Muan has the highest rate of bird strikes among South Korea’s 14 airports
According to data submitted to Rep Lee Yeon-hee of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, a total of 559 bird strike incidents occurred with planes at 14 regional airports from 2019.
Gimhae International Airport had the highest number of bird strikes at 147, followed by Gimpo at 140, Jeju at 119, Daegu at 38 and Cheongju at 33.
At Muan, a total of 10 bird strike incidents have occurred.
However, when considering the occurrence rate relative to the total number of flights operated, the airport near Muan has the highest rate among the 14 airports.
Investigators are examining bird strikes, whether any of the aircraft’s control systems were disabled, and the apparent rush by the pilots to attempt a landing soon after declaring an emergency as possible factors in the crash, fire and transportation officials have said.
Experts say many questions remain, including why the plane, powered by two CFM 56-7B26 engines, appeared to be travelling so fast and why its landing gear did not appear to be down when it skidded down the runway and into a concrete embankment.
In pictures: Families mourn loss at the scene where Jeju Air Boeing 737 crashed
What is a bird strike?
A bird strike is a collision between a plane in flight and a bird. In the UK there were more than 1,400 bird strikes reported in 2022, but only about 100 affected the plane.
The miraculous Hudson River landing was needed after the airbus collided with a flock of geese. All 155 passengers and crew survived.
But some aviation experts are sceptical about whether a bird strike could have caused the crash at Muan Airport.
“Typically they [bird strike] don’t cause the loss of an airplane by themselves,” Mr Thomas told Reuters.
Australian airline safety expert Geoffrey Dell also told the news agency: “I’ve never seen a bird strike prevent the landing gear from being extended.”
Jeju Air reassure Thai victims they will be responsible for damages
Thai Ambassador to South Korea Tanee Sangrat expressed condolences to the families and said JeJu Air officials had told them the airline will be responsible for costs of tragedy.
“The Embassy has reported the tragedy to the Foreign Minister and (the Thai) MFA and coordinated closely with (the) Korean authorities concerned. Our Consular Department has informed families of the two Thai victims,” he said.
“Our Embassy has also worked closely with Jeju Air officials who reassured us that they would be responsible for the related costs of damages of the victims.
“Today the Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul and Team Thailand offices have lowered the flag for seven days in mourning for the victims. We will continue to work with all local authorities and provide assistance to victims and their families.”
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