At least 177 people have now been confirmed killed in the tragic plane crash at South Korea’s Muan International Airport when a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 skidded off the runway and burst into flames during landing, officials said Sunday. As of the time of our initial report, only about 28 were said to have died. Two crew members were rescued alive, while the remaining two of the 181 onboard are presumed dead.
Key Developments
Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 was traveling from Bangkok to Muan.
Video footage shows the aircraft landing without landing gear before crashing into a wall.
The crash is the deadliest air disaster on South Korean soil and the worst involving a South Korean airline in nearly three decades.
Chronology of Events
08:57 a.m. – Control tower issues bird strike warning.
08:59 a.m. – Flight crew declares a Mayday.
09:03 a.m. – Aircraft crashes at Muan International Airport.
11:30 a.m. – Flight data recorder recovered.
2:24 p.m. – Cockpit voice recorder retrieved.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze by 1 p.m. local time, according to Muan Fire Chief Lee Jung-hyun. “Only the tail section retains any recognizable shape,” Lee said, describing the scene as “devastating.”
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Authorities are examining potential factors, including bird strikes and weather conditions.
Two crew members-a man and a woman-were rescued from the tail section with medium to severe injuries. They are being treated at local hospitals. Most of the victims have been identified using fingerprints, while recovery teams continue searching nearby areas for bodies possibly ejected from the aircraft.
Government officials announced a period of national mourning until January 4.
Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 departed Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport without reported issues. The Boeing 737-800, manufactured in 2009, had no history of malfunctions, Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae said during a televised briefing. The airline apologized for the accident, prioritizing support for bereaved families.
This is the first fatal crash involving Jeju Air, a South Korean low-cost airline founded in 2005. The crash comes just weeks after the launch of new routes between Muan and Asian destinations.
Sunday’s crash is the worst air accident in South Korea since a Korean Air crash in Guam in 1997 that claimed more than 200 lives.
