With a death toll of 179, Sunday’s plane crash marks South Korea’s deadliest aviation disaster in decades. The nation is still reeling from the tragedy.
U.S. investigators are being dispatched to assist in determining the cause of the Jeju Air plane crash at Muan airport, where the aircraft impacted a concrete barrier.
Recovery efforts are underway, with over 600 body parts recovered from the crash site, according to the Daily Mail. The scene remains grim.
Authorities have identified 141 victims, ranging in age from a 3-year-old to a 78-year-old, as reported by the BBC.
Of the 181 people aboard, only two flight attendants, Lee (32) and Kwon (25), survived. They were rescued from the tail section of the burning aircraft.
Lee, treated at Mokpo Korean Hospital for a fractured shoulder and head injuries, repeatedly questioned the events, exhibiting signs of distress concerning the plane and passengers, a hospital official told the Korean Times.
Kwon, at Mokpo Central Hospital, sustained a scalp laceration, fractured ankle, and abdominal pain, with no immediate memory of the crash. While her life is not at risk, her injuries are significant, according to the Korean Times.
South Korea’s Transport Ministry announced plans for safety inspections of all Boeing 737-800 jetliners operated domestically, along with a comprehensive review of Jeju Air’s safety standards. Representatives from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Boeing, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are expected to join the investigation, led by the Republic of Korea’s Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB), as confirmed by the NTSB on X.
The ministry is also reviewing the airport’s concrete localizer barrier, considering the use of less resistant materials to mitigate future impact damage.
Similar structures exist at other airports domestically and internationally, including in Jeju Island, Yeosu, Pohang, as well as in the U.S., Spain, and South Africa.
The disaster, the nation’s worst in decades, has sparked widespread national grief and concern regarding the government’s response amid political instability following recent impeachments.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok initiated an emergency review of the country’s aviation systems.
Choi stressed the importance of improving aviation safety systems to prevent future incidents and ensure a safer South Korea.
The Boeing 737-800, operated by Jeju Air, aborted its initial landing attempt, before encountering a bird strike warning and issuing a distress signal during its second attempt. The plane landed without its front landing gear deployed, resulting in a collision with a concrete barrier and subsequent fire.
The Transport Ministry has identified 146 bodies, with DNA and fingerprint analysis underway for the remaining 33, according to the AP.
Park Han Shin, representing the bereaved families, expressed frustration over the condition of the remains and called for increased efforts in the body recovery process.
Earlier, another Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 returned to Seoul’s Gimpo International Airport due to a landing gear issue, resolved through communication with ground control but prompting a precautionary return landing.
Authorities are investigating potential communication issues between air traffic controllers and the pilot of the crashed plane, suggesting potential communication breakdowns during the go-around procedure preceding the crash.
The plane’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders have been moved to Gimpo airport for analysis, with the full investigation expected to take several months.
This incident surpasses the 1997 Korean Airlines crash in Guam (228 fatalities) as South Korea’s deadliest aviation disaster.
The tragedy has led to national shock and soul-searching, prompting comparisons to past national tragedies and raising questions regarding safety and regulatory oversight.
Video footage suggests the pilots may not have deployed flaps or slats, hinting at a possible hydraulic failure, and the lack of manual landing gear deployment indicates a time constraint. However, the aircraft remained under control until impact, and the proximity of the barrier to the runway likely exacerbated the damage, according to John Cox, a retired airline pilot and CEO of Safety Operating Systems.
While some suggest engine trouble, observers indicate a lack of connection between any potential engine issue and the landing gear malfunction.