Muan:

South Korean police raided the offices of Jeju Air and the operator of Muan International Airport Thursday as they stepped up a probe into the fatal crash of a Boeing 737-800 that killed 179 people.

The flight was carrying 181 passengers and crew from Thailand to South Korea on Sunday when it issued a mayday call and belly-landed before slamming into a barrier, killing all aboard except two flight attendants.

Authorities on Thursday carried out search and seizure operations at Muan airport where flight 2216 crashed, a regional aviation office in the southwestern city, and Jeju Air’s office in the capital Seoul, police said.

Jeju Air’s chief executive Kim E-bae has also been banned from leaving the country as the investigation continues, police said separately. 

“The police plan to swiftly and rigorously determine the cause and responsibility for this accident in accordance with the law and principles,” police said in a statement sent to AFP.

At Muan airport Thursday, soldiers, police and white-suited investigators were still combing the crash site, as orange-robed monks held prayer ceremonies nearby. 

Inside the airport, the stairs were covered in colourful post-it notes left by mourners. 

“Honey, I miss you way too much,” one of them said.

“Even if you faced lonely and painful moments in death, may you now soar like a butterfly,” another read.

Relatives also left flowers and food near the crash site including tteokguk — rice cake soup traditionally enjoyed in South Korea on New Year’s Day — as they said their goodbyes, many in tears.

Star chefs featured in Netflix’s megahit cooking competition show “Culinary Class Wars”, including Ahn Yu-seong, joined volunteers in Muan this week to prepare meals for the victims’ families.

And people nationwide were remotely pre-paying for coffee at the airport’s cafe so that victims’ families, who have been camped out in the lounge since Sunday, waiting for news, could drink for free.

More bodies were released Thursday to families to prepare for funerals, the land ministry said.

Concrete barrier

Officials initially pointed to a bird strike as a possible cause of the crash, and have since said the probe was also examining the role of a concrete barrier at the end of the runway.

Dramatic video showed the plane colliding with it before bursting into flames.

Yonhap reported the Muan airport warrant was approved on charges of professional negligence resulting in death, citing officials.

“Police are securing evidence related to the legitimacy of the airport’s localizer,” Yonhap said, referring to the concrete wall at the end of the runway housing an antenna array.

They are also seeking communication records between the control tower and the pilot shortly before the plane crash, it added.

Airports nationwide were being inspected to check other similar localizers, the land ministry said in a statement.

Some experts have suggested that the disaster may have been less deadly if the installation not been concrete.

Boeing inspections

South Korea has also announced it will inspect all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by its carriers, focusing on the landing gear, which appears to have malfunctioned during the Sunday crash.

South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, said Thursday that “immediate action” must be taken if that probe uncovered any issues with the aircraft model.

Authorities have previously said 101 aircraft of the same model were in operation by six different airlines.

“As there’s great public concern about the same aircraft model involved in the accident, the transport ministry and relevant agencies must conduct a thorough inspection of operation maintenance, education, and training,” Choi said Thursday.

The accident is the worst aviation disaster on South Korean soil.

South Korean authorities have completed the initial extraction of data for the cockpit voice recorder, but the flight data recorder was damaged and was to be sent to the United States for analysis, officials said Wednesday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A South Korean Jeju Air passenger jet crashed on landing at Muan International Airport on Sunday, killing 179 people in the country’s deadliest air disaster.

The following are the final minutes of Flight 7C2216 as provided by South Korea’s transport ministry and fire authorities.

All times are Korea Standard Time (GMT+9).

8:54 am – Muan airport air traffic control authorises the aircraft to land on runway 01, which is orientated at 10 degrees east of north.

8:57 am – Air traffic control gives “caution – bird activity” advisory.

8:59 am – Flight 7C2216 pilot reports bird strike, declares emergency “Mayday Mayday Mayday” and “Bird strike, bird strike, go-around.”

9:00 am – Flight 7C2216 initiates a go-around and requests authorisation to land on runway 19, which is by approach from the opposite end of the airport’s single runway.

9:01 am – Air traffic control authorises landing on runway 19.

9:02 am – Flight 7C2216 makes contact with runway at about 1,200m (1,312 yard) point of the 2,800m (3,062 yard) runway.

9:02:34 am – Air traffic control alerts “crash bell” at airport fire rescue unit.

9:02:55 am – Airport fire rescue unit completes deploying fire rescue equipment.

9:03 am – Flight 7C2216 crashes into embankment after over-shooting the runway.

9:10 am – The Transport Ministry receives an accident report from airport authorities.

9:23 am – One male rescued and transported to a temporary medical facility.

9:38 am – Muan airport is closed.

9:50 am – Rescue completed of a second person from inside tail section of the plane.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Seoul:

The US aviation giant Boeing on Sunday extended its condolences to the families of victims killed in the Jeju Air plane crash in South Korea’s Muan. A Boeing 737-800 aircraft, operated by Jeju Air, flying from Bangkok to South Korea with 181 people on board crashed on landing at Muan International Airport on Sunday, leaving all but two people plucked from the wreckage feared dead.

“We are in contact with Jeju Air regarding Flight 2216 and stand ready to support them,” Boeing said in a statement posted to its X account.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew,” the company added. 

pic.twitter.com/TIrIUBw4RB

— The Boeing Company (@Boeing) December 29, 2024

The US aerospace company has seen a turbulent time in the past few years, with a series of embarrassing safety blunders. Boeing, earlier this year, pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States for its role in two fatal 737 Max crashes. However, the Boeing 737-800 has been described reliable workhorse by experts, with the aircraft having an extremely strong safety record.

South Korea’s aviation industry has a solid safety record and the crash was the first fatal accident for Jeju Air. The crash is being dubbed as the worst civil aviation disaster in South Korea. 

What We Know Of The Crash So Far

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft was reportedly warned of a bird strike by the control tower during its first attempt at landing shortly after 9:00 am (midnight GMT). However, minutes later, the pilot issued a “mayday” warning, and it tried to land again, with a video showing it attempting a “belly landing” without its landing gear activated.

Dramatic video showed the plane skidding along the runway with smoke trailing out before it hit a wall at the end and burst into flames.

Investigations have been launched, but according to a report by AFP, officials suspect the accident could have been caused by a bird strike and adverse weather conditions.

Questions were also raised if the accident happened due to the runway being too short, as the video showed the plane coming off the tarmac and hitting a wall. But, an official told AFP that it was likely not a factor. “The runway is 2,800 metres long, and similar-sized aircraft have been operating on it without issues,” they said.

There were a total of 175 passengers and six crew members onboard. Rescue workers plucked out two survivors — both flight attendants — from the wreckage. As of mid-afternoon, 124 people have been confirmed dead.

Officials said there was “little chance of survival,” for others, adding that the plane was “almost completely destroyed,” during the crash.

Meanwhile, a rescue operation is underway with hundreds of firefighters and other emergency responders — including military — deployed to the area. 

The accident occurred with South Korea in the throes of a political crisis, with its third president in a month. Acting President Choi Sang-mok, on his third day in office, convened an emergency meeting with cabinet members to discuss the rescue operation and response and visited the crash scene. He also designated the site a special disaster zone.

Seoul, South Korea:

A Boeing 737-800 aircraft, operated by Jeju Air, crashed at the Muan International Airport in South Korea on Sunday morning, killing at least 85 people onboard. A harrowing video shows the moment the twin-engine plane skidded off the runway and crashed into a wall. The aircraft immediately burst into flames.

Within seconds, huge black smoke rose into the sky. Visuals also showed flames engulfing parts of the plane.

In the video, it appears the aircraft attempted a ‘belly landing’ (without its landing gear fully extended), seconds before the crash.

DRAMATIC moment South Korean plane with reported 180+ passengers becomes a fireball and crashes at airport CAUGHT on cam pic.twitter.com/VdrdavEXgT

— RT (@RT_com) December 29, 2024

The plane was carrying 181 passengers, including six crew members. Two people, a passenger and a flight attendant, have been found alive so far, local media reported.

The rescue operations are underway with authorities trying to evacuate passengers from the rear section of the jet. Emergency services at the airport began operations around 9 am after the aircraft crashed. At least 32 fire trucks and scores of firefighters have been deployed at the crash site.

Also Read | Video: Passenger Captures Moments Before And After Plane Crash In Kazakhstan

According to the online flight tracking website, FlightRadar24, the plane was travelling from Bangkok to Muan.

Yonhap News Agency is reporting a Jeju Air 737 went off the runway after landing in Muan. This appears to be #7C2216 from Bangkok operated by a 737-800. https://t.co/Nyf9IuyxmA https://t.co/QkNX4B8eNF pic.twitter.com/LCIUktDbHN

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) December 29, 2024

South Korean acting President Choi Sang-Mok ordered all-out rescue efforts. “All related agencies must mobilise all available resources to save the personnel,” he instructed officials in a statement. 

His chief of staff also convened an emergency meeting over the incident.

The crash is believed to have been caused by contact with birds, resulting in malfunctioning landing gear.