On Sunday, 179 people were killed when Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 crashed at Muan Airport after an apparent bird flight caused its front landing gear to malfunction
In an instant over the weekend, nearly 200 people were killed in a fireball when Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 skidded on a runway and crashed.
The Boeing 737-800 aircraft had flown from Thailand to South Korea where, when it came into land, its landing gear seemed to malfunction. Sunday’s crash was the worst in the country for several decades.
Aviation experts are now pouring over the plane’s black box to discover what caused the tragedy, a few days after Christmas Day. Here, we take a look at what we know what happened to cause the deaths of 179 people.
What happened on the day of the crash
At Muan International Airport in the south of the country, Flight 7C2216 was coming into land when its bird strike warning from the control centre went off. A distress message was issued by the pilot.
Moments later the plane landed with only its rear landing gear down and overshot the runway. It slammed into a concrete fence and exploded. The crash killed all but two of the 181 people aboard.
Today, South Korean Transport Ministry officials said they will examine if the fence the plane hit should have been made with lighter materials that would break more easily upon impact.
Witnesses told South Korea’s Yonhap news agency that they saw sparks and heard an explosion. Yoo Jae-yong, 41, who was staying near the airport, said he saw a spark on the right wing shortly before the crash. He said he saw “black smoke billowing into the sky” after hearing a “loud explosion”.
Who was aboard the plane?
Both of the survivors of the crash were crew members and rescued in the plane’s tail section. The rest of the plane was destroyed.
The passengers were predominantly South Korean, although they included two Thai nationals. The Transport Ministry says 146 bodies have been identified and are collecting DNA and fingerprint samples from the other 33.
It is believed most of the tourists were in their 40s, 50s and 60s.
The publication reports that families waiting at the airport have been given wool blankets to keep themselves warm and the Red Cross has set up more than a dozen yellow tents for loved ones to find privacy. Stacks of bottled water and instant noodles lay in the corner of the terminal, with briefings delivered by officials every half hour.
Are flights currently happening in the country?
All flights to and from Muan Airport have been cancelled. The South Korean Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.
The disaster has been reported as the deadliest plane crash involving a South Korean airline since 1997, when a Korean Air plane crashed in Guam and killed 200 people. In a statement, Boeing said: “We are in contact with Jeju Air regarding flight 2216 and stand ready to support them. We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew.”
What is happening in South Korea?
The crash has come at a somewhat politically charged time in South Korea. Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok is now the country’s acting president. The safety minister resigned and the police chief was arrested over their roles in the declaration of martial law.
The absence of the top officials directly responsible for handling disasters has caused concerns among many people. Choi quickly traveled to the crash site, met bereaved families and presided over emergency meetings to discuss the incident.
On Monday, Choi instructed authorities to conduct an emergency review of the country’s overall aircraft operation systems.