When and where did the Jeju Air plane crash take place?
The crash and subsequent fire occurred at the Muan International Airport, located in southwestern South Korea approximately 180 miles (290km) south of Seoul.
Footage from the airport shows the plane sliding along the runway before colliding straight into a concrete wall, where the aircraft was destroyed and came to a stop as a fire broke out.
The incident took place at 9:03am local time today (December 29), as the Jeju Air flight came in to land after journeying from Bangkok, Thailand.
Why did the plane crash?
Authorities have shared some theories as to why the Boeing 737-800 crashed, including the possibility of a bird strike.
Prior to the crash, the control tower at Muan International Airport had warned the Jeju Air pilot of a bird strike, and footage aired by a local broadcaster appears to show a strike as the plane was descending.
A witness to the crash, 70-year-old Kim Yong-cheol, told the Yonhap News Agency that he heard the sound of ‘metallic scraping’ twice about five minutes before the crash.
Authorities are also looking into the possibility that weather conditions may have played a role in the incident.
The exact cause of the crash is still under investigation, but a senior Transport Ministry official has said authorities have recovered the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder to look at data surrounding the crash.
However, as some of the data is said to have been damaged in the crash, it could take up to a month to decode.
The plane was destroyed in the collision (SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
What happened in the moments before the crash?
Video footage shows the plane sliding along the runway on its belly, with no wheels to support it as it came in to land.
This is believed to be the second attempt the pilot made at landing after the plane’s landing gear failed to lower as it should have.
According to The Independent, a timeline of the minutes before the plane struck the wall has now come to light.
8:57am – The control tower at Muan International Airport issues a warning over possible bird strikes
8:58am – The Jeju Air pilot sends a ‘Mayday’ distress signal
9:00am – The plane attempts to land, but the landing gear is not deployed
9:03am – The plane crash-lands and collides into the concrete wall
The plane skidded along the runway before the crash (MBC News)
Who was on board?
A total of 181 people were on the plane when the collision took place; six crew members and 175 passengers. Rescuers managed to save two members of the crew, but the remaining 179 people have been declared dead.
Among the deceased are five children under the age of 10, and an older passenger who was 78 years old. Most passengers were South Koreans, though there were also two Thai women on board, Thai authorities confirmed.
Some of the families of the deceased have since spoken out and in honor of the victims, the South Korean government has declared a period of national mourning in the country for the next seven days.
One of the two survivors has spoken out after he was taken to hospital, and said that he had already been rescued when he woke up.
Hospital director Ju Woong told the Yonhap News Agency: “He’s fully able to communicate. There’s no indication yet of memory loss or such.”
The survivor suffered multiple fractures in the crash and is now receiving special care due to the risk of after-effects.
Recovery efforts began immediately after the crash (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
What have Jeju Air and Boeing said?
The president of Jeju Air, Kim E-bae, addressed the crash in a televised news conference and said that he takes ‘full responsibility’ for what happened.
He noted the company had not noticed any mechanical problems with the plane prior to the incident, and that he would wait for the results of government investigations to determine the cause of the crash.
Song Kyung-hoon, the head of Jeju Air’s management team, has added that the crash was not due to ‘any maintenance issues’.
“There are areas we have to investigate further by determining the exact cause of the crash,” he said, adding that the company’s insurance plan should be able to support the victims of those involved and their families.
In a statement on Twitter, Boeing said it is in contact with Jeju Air about the crash and ‘stand ready to support them’.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew,” the company added.
Topics: World News, Jeju Air
Warning: This article contains graphic images, video and description which some readers may find distressing
A devastating plane crash in South Korea left 179 out of 181 onboard dead and some of the victims’ loved ones are speaking out.
Earlier today (December 29) shortly after 9:00 am local time, a Jeju Air Flight 2216 – a Boeing 737-800 passenger aircraft – tried to land at Muan International Airport in Muan County, South Korea after taking off from Suvarnabhumi Airport near Bangkok, Thailand at around 2:00 am local time.
The aircraft ended up crashing following an emergency landing, killing 179 out of 181 onboard.
Harrowing footage from the airport shows the moment the passenger plane attempts to land on the runway, with it ending up skidding across and colliding with a wall, later bursting into smoke and flames.
It’s reported the front landing gear of the plane failed to deploy, forcing the pilot to make a crash landing.
Director of the Aviation Policy Division at South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Joo Jong-wan said, as per NBC News, the pilot ‘declared mayday after issuing the bird strike alert’.
An investigation into the tragedy is still underway, with the crash marking South Korea’s worst domestic civil aviation disaster in history.
At the time of writing, recovery efforts are ongoing and the BBC quotes Yonhap news agency as stating the runway will remain closed until New Year’s Day as teams analyse the wreckage.
Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 flight crashed on the morning of December 29 ( JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images)
It’s reported the crash has taken the lives of 179 people out of the 181 passengers and members of crew onboard. The two survivors were rushed to hospital and now, loved ones of some of the victims have spoken out.
Maeng Gi-su’s nephew and his nephew’s two sons had been onboard the flight, returning from a holiday in celebration of the youngest son’s college entrance exams being over.
The 78-year-old told the BBC: “I can’t believe the entire family has just disappeared. My heart aches so much.”
A cousin of another passenger onboard the flight told the BBC she had ‘goosebumps’ when she heard of the crash.
“I couldn’t believe it… when the news said one of the victims was from Udon Thani, I was even more surprised,” she said.
Recovery efforts are ongoing (JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images)
The government of South Korea has announced a national mourning period of seven days.
In a statement, Boeing said: “We are in contact with Jeju Air regarding flight 2216 and stand ready to support them. We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew.”
Jeju Air has a banner at the top of its website which reads: “We deeply apologize to all those affected by the incident. We will make every effort to resolve the situation. We sincerely regret the distress caused.”
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.
Featured Image Credit: Chris Jung/NurPhoto via Getty Images / BBC
Topics: World News, Travel
A woman has explained how she was the sole survivor of a plane crash that resulted in 152 people tragically losing their lives.
Bahia Bakari was just 12 years old when she boarded a Yemen Airways flight with her mother from Paris to Comoros.
But on June 30, 2009, the Airbus A310 crashed into the sea upon descending.
This left 141 passengers and 11 crew members dead, with Bakari the only survivor.
In 2022, Bakar provided a testimony reflecting on what happened that day as Yemen’s national air carrier – now known as Yemenia – faced charges of manslaughter and unintentional injuries as a result of the crash.
THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images
Speaking in the Paris court, a then 25-year-old Bakari explained how passengers were ‘exhausted’ on the night flight.
“We were landing, I started to feel some turbulence, but people didn’t seem worried about it. Then I felt an electrical shock and I woke up in the water,” she said.
“I don’t remember what happened between sitting in the plane and being in the water. I have a black hole.”
ABC reported at the time that Bakari grabbed a piece of debris and used it to keep afloat after the plane plummeted into the sea.
She was in the water for 11 hours before she was rescued by fishermen.
Bakari said that she remembers hearing ‘female voices which screamed for help in Comorian’ but that she fell asleep and woke up alone.
Recalling the time she waited in the water for help, Bakari said: “It was so long. I almost gave up. I almost lost hope. Thinking about my mom helped me to hold up. I convinced myself that everyone except me made it home safe.”
Thankfully, the young girl was rescued from the water and taken to Moroni hospital.
Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images
She had sustained a broken collarbone, hip, and other injuries during the crash.
“I don’t suffer any physical effects, but my mother is gone. I was very close to her,” Bakari added.
In September 2022, the court ruled Yemenia was guilty of involuntary homicide for the crash and it was ordered to pay a $224,500 fine.
The airline was also ordered to pay $998,000 in damages and legal costs to the lone survivor, Bakari, and the families of 65 French citizens who were killed.
Said Assoumani, the head of a victims’ families association, said: “French justice has acknowledged that Yemenia committed serious mistakes.
“The ruling is excellent and consistent with our expectations.”
Featured Image Credit: THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images/Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Topics: News, World News, Travel
Russian President Vladimir Putin has released a statement after four sources claimed the devastating plane crash on Christmas Day was caused by ‘a Russian air defence system’.
On December 25, an Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft – Flight J2-8243 – crashed off the coast of the Caspian Sea while flying from Azerbaijan’s capital Baku to Grozny, capital of the Chechnya region in southern Russia.
‘Four sources in Azerbaijan with knowledge of the investigation’ told news agency Reuters the plane was ‘downed by a Russian air defence system’.
The jet – carrying 67 passengers – was allegedly shot down after being diverted from ‘an area of Russia in which Moscow has used air defence systems against Ukrainian drone strikes in recent months’.
Sky News also reported US military sources hold similar suspicions.
And Russian President Vladimir Putin has since released a statement following the crash – of which 38 people are reported dead.
On the President of Russia’s website, a statement was released titled: “Telephone conversation with the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.”
The plane crashed on December 25 (ISSA TAZHENBAYEV/AFP via Getty Images)
The release alleges a phone conversation was initiated by Russia between Putin and Aliyev in which the pair discussed ‘issues related to the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane on December 25 near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan’ and that they talked ‘in detail’.
The statement continues: “Vladimir Putin apologized for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace, and once again expressed deep and sincere condolences to the families of the victims, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.
“During the conversation, it was noted that the Azerbaijani passenger aircraft, which was strictly on schedule, repeatedly attempted to land at the Grozny airport. At that time, Grozny, Mozdok and Vladikavkaz were attacked by Ukrainian combat unmanned aerial vehicles, and Russian air defense systems repelled these attacks.”
A criminal case under Article 263 of the Criminal Code (violation of traffic safety rules and operation of air transport) is reported as having been opened by the Investigative Committee of Russia.
Vladimir Putin has since released a statement (Contributor/Getty Images)
The statement says ‘civilian and military specialists are being questioned’ during the ‘initial investigative actions’ which are currently ‘underway’.
It resolves: “Currently, two employees of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan are in Grozny, where they are working together with representatives of the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.
“The relevant services of Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are also closely cooperating at the site of the disaster in the Aktau region.”
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.
Featured Image Credit: Contributor/Getty/Anadolu/Getty
Topics: Russia, World News, Vladimir Putin, Travel
The whole of Brazil remains in mourning due to the 62 people who lost their lives in a plane crash on Friday (9 August).
The VoePass Flight 2283 was traveling to Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos international airport when the plane ended up spinning down to the ground.
Crashing in a residential area of Vinhedo, 58 passengers and four crew members were killed.
Three-year-old Liz Ibba dos Santos was the youngest to lose her life on the tragic day last week, as she was travelling on the plane with her father, Rafael Fernando dos Santos.
Liza’s mother Adrian Libba has been speaking to Brazilian outlet Fantastico amid her ongoing grief.
“That was my greatest love and I lost it,” she told the outlet.
Tragedy struck in Brazil last week. (NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP via Getty Images)
Libba shared the final audio she received from her young daughter.
In it, Liz could be heard saying ‘hi mommy…I’m already on the plane’ before blowing her mom a kiss.
Libba also recalled the moment she heard of the plane crashing, admitting she feared the worse.
“I think I knew it. A mother feels it, right? I lost the best part of me. The most beautiful thing. She was happy, she loved hugging and kissing,” she said.
Brazil’s federal police have since launched an investigation into the crash, though no timeline has been provided on more news being released.
The black box of the aircraft has been recovered, with recent flight data revealing some new details.
Many involved with the crash some way or another have spoken out following the tragedy.
Adriano Assis was due to be on the doomed flight but was refused onboard because he was running late.
62 people lost their lives. (MIGUEL SCHINCARIOL/AFP via Getty Images)
After a mix-up with the flights, Assis was told he was too late to board the VoePass aircraft.
“The guy said I wouldn’t be boarding anymore because it was an hour before boarding,” Assis recalled to Brazilian news outlet G1.
“At that moment, I argued with him and stuff, and that was it, and he saved my life.”
Emotionally, Assis added: “He did his job because, if he hadn’t done it… maybe I wouldn’t be in this interview today.”
Moments after the tragedy, Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said in a video shared on Twitter: “I would like everyone to stand up so that we can observe a minute of silence because a plane has just crashed in the city of Vinhedo, in São Paulo, with 58 passengers and four crew members and it appears they all died.
