South Korea plane crash: Jeju Air cuts flights to ‘repair trust’ as outrage grows over airport wall
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.Jeju Air's chief executive said the airline will reduce its winter air traffic by up to 15 per cent and aim to secure trust following the death of 179 people in the plane crash.
All 175 passengers and four of the six crew were killed when the Boeing 737-800 belly-landed and skidded off the end of the runway at Muan International Airport on Sunday, erupting in a fireball as it slammed into an embankment.
South Korean officials were joined by a US probe team and officials from Boeing as they ramped up the investigation on Tuesday into the cause of its deadliest domestic air accident as police scrambled to identify victims.
Officials have also faced pointed questions about design features at the airport, particularly a large dirt-and-concrete embankment near the end of the runway used to support navigation equipment.
Experts said it seemed unlikely a bird strike would have been the sole cause of the landing gear malfunctioning.
Meanwhile, families of the victims have been camping out at the airport as they demand answers.
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In pictures: Families mourn loss at the scene where Jeju Air Boeing 737 crashed
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.
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
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
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.”
Satellite images show South Korea’s Muan airport in the aftermath of the Jeju Air crash
South Korea plane crash disaster marks another setback for Boeing
South Korea plane crash disaster marks another setback for Boeing
Boeing’s reputation for safety was especially tarnished by the 737 Max crashes
South Korea struggles to determine cause of plane crash that killed 179 people
South Korea struggles to determine cause of plane crash that killed 179 people
South Korean officials are struggling to determine what caused a deadly plane crash that killed nearly 180 people on board, with the nation saddened, shocked and ashamed over the country’s worst aviation disaster in decades
Anger as families await victims’ remains after South Korea plane crash
Anger as families await victims’ remains after South Korea plane crash
Black box retrieved but families are told bodies of victims may never be found
Experts ask why the South Korean Jeju Air flight crashed, killing 179
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
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