On Sunday, a passenger jet crash-landed in South Korea, killing 179 people. The plane, carrying 181 passengers, landed on its belly at Muan International Airport, veered off the runway, and burst into flames. Rescuers pulled only two survivors, both of their crew, from the smouldering wreckage. This is now the deadliest air crash in South Korea in over 20 years.
Possible Cause of the Crash
Local fire officials and aviation experts have said a malfunction in the landing gear may have been the reason for the crash. The pilot had issued a mayday call shortly after being warned by the control tower about birds in the vicinity. However, it could take several years to determine the cause of the incident, as experts said, and warned against speculations. Authorities have asked that officials not jump to premature conclusions even as families of victims demanded answers.
A Boeing 737-800 en route from Bangkok, Thailand. Considering some of the recent tragedies associated with Boeing’s line of 737 Max, analysts say it is essential to note that the 737-800 plane is a reliable, safe aeroplane. Jeju Air, too, is considered an airline that has a fairly good record over the years as South Korea’s largest operator of low-cost carriers.
A video witnessed the footage of the crash and showed the high-speed skidding of the plane before hitting an embankment and bursting into flames. Further, there were disturbing visuals of neither the front nor rear landing gear visible, and smoke pouring from the rear of the aircraft.
The chief of the fire department, Lee Jeong-hyun, presumed that the cause was either a bird strike or poor weather conditions. US federal authorities, including the National Transportation Safety Board, will support the investigation.
Key Evidence Recovered
Recorders storing information on flight data and conversations in the cockpit were also recovered. These will now help investigators piece together what really happened before the crash.
Grief at Muan Airport
Scenes of anguish and despair were unfolded at Muan International Airport, where the relatives were waiting anxiously for information about the outcome. A number of relatives fainted as the list of names of victims was read out loudly. One bereaved father, whose daughter was on her way back from Thailand after visiting her family in South Korea, showed his pain: “I never thought this would be the last time we saw each other forever.”
Another father, 71-year-old Jeon Je-Young, said he cannot believe his daughter did not call before the tragedy.
Political Context
This tragedy has happened amid political turmoil in South Korea, with the country embroiled in one of its worst leadership crises. Acting President Choi Sang-mok, who took office only days earlier, visited Muan International Airport on Sunday to show support for the families of the victims and monitor the disaster response.
Following the Muan International Airport plane crash tragedy, the acting President of South Korea, Choi Sang-mok, declared a week of national mourning starting from Sunday to January 4. This declaration is in regard to the killing of 179 people. Besides this mourning period, Choi announced that 17 memorial altars would be established across the country to mourn the victims.
The national call for unity is a dramatic moment of inter-Korean conciliation at one of the most tumultuous moments in South Korean political history. Just two days before the crash, the nation’s parliament voted to impeach Prime Minister and acting President Han Duck-soo. This political crisis in the wake of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s loss of powers earlier this month, after a controversial short-lived declaration of martial law, has set off new shockwaves.
The youngest passenger aboard the Jeju Air flight that crash-landed on Sunday at Muan International Airport was a three-year-old child, while the oldest was a 78-year-old, according to the fire service, which referenced the passenger manifest.
According to the report from the fire service, 177 people died in the devastating crash, while two out of 181 passengers are still missing. The survivors included two crew members, one male and one female, currently in the hospital for treatment.
A week of mourning has been declared in the Jeolla province in South Korea, as the official announced at a provincial briefing on Sunday, dedicated to the victims of this terrible crash.
