Authorities Reported Bird Strike Alert Issued Moments Prior to South Korean Plane Accident
The Jeju Air crash resulted in the tragic loss of 179 lives in Muan, South Korea on Sunday morning.
A potential bird strike has been identified as a factor in the plane crash that claimed 179 lives in Muan, South Korea. Air traffic controllers reportedly warned the plane about the risks of a bird strike just minutes before the tragic incident occurred.
Officials from South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport confirmed that the warning about a potential bird strike was issued at 8:57 a.m. local time. The crash took place around 9:03 a.m. local time when the landing gear failed to deploy, despite the pilot declaring a mayday at 8:58 a.m. and attempting to land at 9 a.m.
“As the aircraft was attempting to land on runway No. 1, the control tower issued a bird strike warning, and shortly after, the pilot declared mayday,” the ministry stated in a communication with Yonhap.
Arriving from Bangkok, Thailand, Jeju Air was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members when the tragic incident occurred. The airline was trying to land at the southern airport in South Korea shortly after 9 a.m., as confirmed by the South Korean transport ministry.
Following the crash, two crew members – a man and a woman – were rescued from the burning plane’s tail section. They are currently receiving medical treatment for their injuries, stated the head of the local health center.
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Described as the deadliest air tragedy on South Korean territory in nearly three decades, the crash involving the twin-engine Boeing 737-800 was a horrific scene. Local media footage depicted the aircraft skidding along the runway without visible landing gear before colliding with navigation equipment and a wall, leading to a fiery explosion.
“Only the tail section remains somewhat recognizable, while the rest of the plane is nearly unidentifiable,” stated Muan fire chief Lee Jung-hyun at a briefing. Investigators are exploring bird strikes and weather conditions as potential contributing factors.
Aviation experts raised questions about the bird strike warning and the plane’s landing attempt, noting that more queries than answers have surfaced. “Both bird strikes and landing gear issues are not uncommon,” noted Airline News editor Geoffrey Thomas. “Bird strikes are more frequent, but they generally don’t result in the loss of an aircraft by themselves.”
“At this stage, there are numerous unknowns. Why was the plane at such a high speed? Why were the flaps not deployed? Why was the landing gear not lowered?” questioned Gregory Alegi, an aviation specialist and former instructor at Italy’s air force academy.
Situated approximately 200 miles south of Seoul, Muan had passengers on the ill-fated Jeju Airlines flight, including two individuals from Thailand, as confirmed by the Transport Ministry. The remainder of the passengers are believed to be South Korean nationals.
“We offer our heartfelt apologies to everyone affected by this tragedy,” expressed the airline in a statement. “We are committed to resolving the situation and deeply regret any distress caused.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
