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177 killed in Muan airport plane crash, 2 others presumed dead By Lee Hae-rin
At least 177 people died in a Jeju Air plane crash at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, Sunday.
While there were a total of 181 people onboard, rescue authorities suspect that nearly all others, except for two people rescued, were also killed in the crash.
mA passenger plane is ablaze after crashing at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, Sunday. At least 177 people died from the accident. Yonhap
According to rescue authorities, 173 Korean passengers, two Thai travelers, and six crew members were aboard the Jeju Air flight, which departed from Bangkok, Thailand at 1:30 a.m. and was scheduled to land at Muan International Airport at 8:30 a.m.
The Boeing 737-800 initially attempted to land but was unable to do so. It then circled the airport and tried to land again, but the plane veered off the runway. The aircraft subsequently collided with a structure at the end of the runway, bursting into flames at 9:03 a.m.
Police and fire officials are stationed at a plane crash site at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, Sunday. Yonhap
The fire was extinguished 43 minutes after the crash.
Emergency responders rescued two crew members, and the authorities said it is unlikely that other passengers survived, as most parts of the plane, except for the tail, were severely burned and destroyed. They added it will take some time to identify the victims.
This is the deadliest flight accident involving a Korean passenger plane since the 1997 Korean Air crash in Guam, which resulted in 228 fatalities.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident. While video footage showed that the plane’s landing gear malfunctioned, investigators believe that a bird strike may have contributed to the incident, as some witnesses reported seeing the plane collide with birds. One video also captured the engine under the right wing emitting flames and smoke before the crash.
“The control tower at the airport warned the flight of a potential bird strike,” an official from the transport ministry said at a press briefing. “One minute after the warning, the pilot issued a Mayday call, and the plane crashed five minutes later .”
The official said the flight accident investigation body retrieved the flight data recorder.
Authorities dismissed suspicions that Muan Airport’s relatively short runway may have contributed to the accident, stating that other planes have used the 2,800-meter runway without any issues.
The government activated the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and the Central Disaster Management Headquarters to quickly deal with the accident.
Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok ordered authorities to mobilize all personnel and tools to rescue people. Arriving at the scene of the accident, he designated Muan as a special disaster zone.
“The government will put all available resources for accident management and support for victims and their families,” he said in a meeting with relevant authorities in the central and local governments.
He also expressed condolences for the victims and bereaved families.
Jeju Air CEO Kim E-Bae, left, bows to apologize for a deadly plane crash at Muan International Airport,
during a press conference at Mayfield Hotel in Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap
Jeju Air, the operator of the plane, issued a public apology and expressed its condolences.
Its CEO Kim E-bae said at a press conference held at Mayfield Hotel in Seoul that there was “no indication that there was anything wrong with the aircraft.”
Asked about the cause of the accident, Kim said, “We cannot confirm (whether it was bird strike). It is difficult to determine the cause of the accident and we have to wait for the official announcement of the investigation by the government agency.
“As the CEO, regardless of the cause of the accident, I feel responsible. We will make every effort to quickly recover from the accident and support the families of passengers and do our best to find out with the government the cause of the accident,” he said.
The accident occurred less than a month after Jeju Air began operating on the route. The low-cost carrier started regular services to Bangkok four times a week, along with three other international destinations on Dec. 8.
Source:koreatimes.co.kr/
177 killed in Muan airport plane crash, 2 others presumed dead By Lee Hae-rin
At least 177 people died in a Jeju Air plane crash at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, Sunday.
While there were a total of 181 people onboard, rescue authorities suspect that nearly all others, except for two people rescued, were also killed in the crash.
mA passenger plane is ablaze after crashing at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, Sunday. At least 177 people died from the accident. Yonhap
According to rescue authorities, 173 Korean passengers, two Thai travelers, and six crew members were aboard the Jeju Air flight, which departed from Bangkok, Thailand at 1:30 a.m. and was scheduled to land at Muan International Airport at 8:30 a.m.
The Boeing 737-800 initially attempted to land but was unable to do so. It then circled the airport and tried to land again, but the plane veered off the runway. The aircraft subsequently collided with a structure at the end of the runway, bursting into flames at 9:03 a.m.
Police and fire officials are stationed at a plane crash site at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, Sunday. Yonhap
The fire was extinguished 43 minutes after the crash.
Emergency responders rescued two crew members, and the authorities said it is unlikely that other passengers survived, as most parts of the plane, except for the tail, were severely burned and destroyed. They added it will take some time to identify the victims.
This is the deadliest flight accident involving a Korean passenger plane since the 1997 Korean Air crash in Guam, which resulted in 228 fatalities.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident. While video footage showed that the plane’s landing gear malfunctioned, investigators believe that a bird strike may have contributed to the incident, as some witnesses reported seeing the plane collide with birds. One video also captured the engine under the right wing emitting flames and smoke before the crash.
“The control tower at the airport warned the flight of a potential bird strike,” an official from the transport ministry said at a press briefing. “One minute after the warning, the pilot issued a Mayday call, and the plane crashed five minutes later .”
The official said the flight accident investigation body retrieved the flight data recorder.
Authorities dismissed suspicions that Muan Airport’s relatively short runway may have contributed to the accident, stating that other planes have used the 2,800-meter runway without any issues.
The government activated the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and the Central Disaster Management Headquarters to quickly deal with the accident.
Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok ordered authorities to mobilize all personnel and tools to rescue people. Arriving at the scene of the accident, he designated Muan as a special disaster zone.
“The government will put all available resources for accident management and support for victims and their families,” he said in a meeting with relevant authorities in the central and local governments.
He also expressed condolences for the victims and bereaved families.
Jeju Air CEO Kim E-Bae, left, bows to apologize for a deadly plane crash at Muan International Airport,
during a press conference at Mayfield Hotel in Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap
Jeju Air, the operator of the plane, issued a public apology and expressed its condolences.
Its CEO Kim E-bae said at a press conference held at Mayfield Hotel in Seoul that there was “no indication that there was anything wrong with the aircraft.”
Asked about the cause of the accident, Kim said, “We cannot confirm (whether it was bird strike). It is difficult to determine the cause of the accident and we have to wait for the official announcement of the investigation by the government agency.
“As the CEO, regardless of the cause of the accident, I feel responsible. We will make every effort to quickly recover from the accident and support the families of passengers and do our best to find out with the government the cause of the accident,” he said.
The accident occurred less than a month after Jeju Air began operating on the route. The low-cost carrier started regular services to Bangkok four times a week, along with three other international destinations on Dec. 8.
Source:koreatimes.co.kr/