2 days ago
Last Updated:December 29, 2024, 12:59 IST
The death toll in South Korea plane crash has climbed to 85, with reports claiming that two people have been rescued and all others are feared dead.
Jeju Air passenger plane carrying 181 people crash-landed at South Korea's Muan Airport | AP Image
The Jeju Air plane carrying 181 people crashed at South Korea’s Muan Airport on Sunday, marking the first such crash in the south bloc of the country, according to reports.
The death toll in the Boeing 737-800 aircraft crash has climbed to 85, with some reports claiming that two people have been rescued and all others are feared dead. The aircraft had 175 passengers and 6 crew members on board.
The incident unfolded when the Jeju Air flight from Bangkok attempted a Belly Landing with no apparent landing gear and crashed into a wall in an explosion. The visuals of the incident showed black smoke billowing into the air from the airport in Muan, with firefighters carrying out extinguishing operations.
Bird Strike Behind Crash?
A video surfaced on social media showing a bird hitting the plane, sparking a fire in the right engine, which the officials suspect brought down the plane.
Lee Jeong-hyun, chief of Muan Fire Station, told the media that bad weather also contributed to the tragedy. “The cause of the accident is presumed to be a bird strike combined with adverse weather conditions. However, the exact cause will be announced following a joint investigation," he said.
Landing Gear Glitch & Belly Landing
The malfunction of the landing gear served as the key reason behind the fatal crash of the plane at Muan airport, said officials, adding that bird collision is suspected behind the landing gear glitch.
South Korean news agency Yonhap, citing sources, said that the pilot tried a belly landing after a regular landing attempt failed following a glitch in the landing gear. Several reports suggested that the plane was approaching the runway at a significantly higher speed than the prescribed limit.
“Witnesses cited signs that the plane’s landing gear, such as tyres, remained unactivated, possibly sending it to attempt a crash landing, with a bird collision presumed to be the cause of the malfunction," the report said.
A belly landing is an emergency landing where an aircraft touches down without extending its landing gear, meaning it lands directly on its underside, or “belly." This situation typically arises when there is a malfunction or failure in the landing gear system, preventing it from deploying properly.
Social Media Users Raise Key Questions
After the fatal crash of the plane, several social media users, including former pilots, have raised multiple questions about the incident.
Why was the plane travelling at a high speed when landing on a runway less than 3 km long?Why were firefighters not positioned near the runway if it was a planned belly landing?Planes experiencing technical malfunctions usually circle the airport while pilots attempt to resolve the issue, but this was not done in this case.Reacting to the incident, Jiju Air CEO Kim E-Bae said, “First, I bow my head and offer my sincere apologies to everyone who has supported Jeju Air. Above all, I express my deepest condolences and apologies to the passengers who lost their lives in the accident and to their bereaved families."
The fatal plane crash in South Korea follows the December 25 crash-landing of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight near Aktau in Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the 67 on board.
Several reports claimed that the plane came under fire from Russian air defence en route to the Chechen capital of Grozny – forcing it to divert. Russian President Vladimir Putin later apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart over the downing of the commercial airliner in Russian airspace.
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Location :South Korea
First Published:December 29, 2024, 12:59 IST
News world Bird Strike, Landing Gear Glitch, Belly Landing: Series Of Events In South Korea Plane Crash
