by Mick the Ram

At least 177 people were killed in what is the the deadliest air crash to have ever occurred in South Korea.

It happened shortly after 9.00am local time today when a Boeing 737-800 flown by Korean budget airline Jeju Air was attempting to land at Muan International airport on a flight that had taken off from Bangkok,Thailand.

There were 181 people on board and just two (both crew members who were at the back of the aircraft) escaped with their lives, suffering “mid to severe” injuries, but not life-threatening. Two people are as yet to be found, but are presumed dead.

All but two of those on the flight were South Koreans with the exception being two Thai nationals.

It is believed at this early stage that birds are responsible for the disaster, as air traffic control gave a bird strike warning just 2 minutes before the crash, although this is still to be confirmed.

The plane was seen to touch down without wheels or any other landing gear in place and skidded down the runway before crashing into a barrier causing a huge explosion.

Over 1,500 emergency personnel were deployed to the site and a special disaster zone was enforced.

Shocking images

Harrowing footage shows the aircraft approaching with unusual flames coming from its right engine and skid along the runway without any landing gear in place.

It travelled at speed before crashing into a concrete obstruction and an almighty fireball followed.

Bird strike warning

The transport ministry has confirmed that air traffic controllers warned the Jeju Air flight about bird strike risks at 08:57, with the pilot declaring a mayday one minute later.

Airport staff revealed after the crash that an unusually large flock of birds was spotted over the airport’s runway in the hour or so before the crash.

The head pilot had been in this role since 2019 and had more than 9,800 hours of flight experience and would have been trained for such emergencies.

However, one staff member is reported to have stated that they had never seen such a concentration before and they had suddenly flown in from outside of the airport.

Deterrents questioned

The sighting raises questions about the adequacy of the airport’s bird control measures.

While South Korean law requires airports to maintain year-round bird deterrent activities with dedicated personnel and equipment, it remains unclear what specific actions were taken in response to Sunday morning’s bird activity.  

Children amongst the dead

According to authorities, the youngest passenger was a three-year-old boy and the oldest was 78-years-old. Five of the people who were killed in the crash were children under the age of 10.

The flight data and cockpit voice recorders of the plane’s black box have been retrieved and have been taken away to be examined by government experts. At the scene eight aircraft accident investigators and nine aviation safety inspectors are conducting initial investigations.

Witness heard bangs and saw smoke when still in the air

Eye-witness Kim Yong-Cheol, who is 70-years-old said he saw the plane attempt to land but pulled out before circling to try again.

He confirmed that black smoke was trailing from from the aircraft as it descended rapidly, then he said there was a “flash of light, then there was a loud bang followed by more smoke and then I heard a series of explosions.”

On the increase

Aviation experts say bird strikes can be catastrophic. The risk is particularly high at Muan due to its location near fields and coastal areas. Nationwide bird strike incidents have been steadily increasing, from 108 in 2019 to 152 last year.

Some suggest this rise could be linked to climate change, with migratory birds becoming permanent residents and shifts occurring in both the timing and species of birds appearing at airports.

Airports employ various countermeasures including sound deterrents and monitoring systems, while some are now exploring AI and radar technology to track bird movements.

Budget airline with excellent safety record

Jeju Air was established in 2005 and has approximately 3,000 employees. It serves a number of routes in South Korea, as well as cities in the Asia-Pacific operating operates nearly 220 flights a day, with its 42 aircraft.  

This is officially the deadliest plane crash on South Korean soil.