A serious investigation was underway on Monday after 179 individuals had been killed in South Korea’s deadliest plane crash ever when an airliner belly-landed at Muan International Airport Sunday earlier than skidding right into a wall and bursting into flames.
Questions stay round precisely what prompted Jeju Air Flight 2216 to crash — and why the demise toll was so excessive, with simply two survivors.
Hundreds of members of the family camped out in a single day on the worldwide airport in Muan County, determined for solutions about what occurred to their family members and demanding to have the ability to see their stays.
Here’s what we all know to this point concerning the lethal crash and the investigation into what prompted it:
What occurred?
Jeju Air Flight 2216 took off from Bangkok shortly after 2 a.m. native time (2 p.m. ET Saturday), based on flight-tracking platform FlightConscious.
At round 8:59 a.m. (6:59 pm ET Saturday), the pilot of the Boeing 737-800 airplane issued a “chicken strike” warning used to alert a collision between a minimum of one chicken and an plane, earlier than declaring “mayday,” Yu Kyung-soo, Director of Aviation Safety Policy at South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, or MOLIT, mentioned in a briefing on Monday.
“The plane then carried out a go-around, and at 9:01 a.m., it was cleared to enter Runway 19,” Yu mentioned. Just a minute later, the airplane touched down on the one-third level, or nearly 4,000 ft, of the runway, he mentioned. But after about one minute, it veered off the runway and collided with a wall, Yu mentioned.
The incident unfolded simply minutes after the management tower on the airport had issued a chicken exercise warning at 8:57 a.m., Yu added.
In video captured of the crash, the airplane might be seen belly-landing at Muan International Airport and skidding down the runway earlier than crashing right into a wall and erupting in flames. Video appeared to indicate that half or all the plane’s touchdown gear didn’t deploy.
South Korea’s nationwide fireplace company confirmed that 179 individuals had been killed within the crash, making it the deadliest airline catastrophe of the 12 months and what gave the impression to be Jeju Air’s first deadly accident for the reason that low-cost airline was based in 2005.
What prompted the crash?
There remains to be no definitive reply on what precisely prompted the crash.
The NTSB is anticipated to dispatch a U.S. investigation workforce to help with the probe, with consultations additionally ongoing with Boeing, the plane producer, and CFM International, a three way partnership between the U.S. and France that manufactured the airplane’s engine, officers mentioned at a briefing on Monday.
Two black packing containers retrieved from the plane — the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder — had been transferred to a check heart on Monday morning.
Investigators are wanting into whether or not a flock or single chicken was chargeable for the airplane’s obvious lack of management. The pilot reported chicken strike and the incident unfolded minutes after the management tower at Muan International Airporthad issued a chicken exercise warning.
They are additionally wanting into the truth that the airplane crashed into the outside wall of an azimuth, or localizer, facility, Ju Jong-wan, Director of the Aviation Policy Office at MOLIT mentioned at a briefing on Monday.
“The azimuth facility can’t be arbitrarily put in; there are set up rules, which we’re presently reviewing,” Ju mentioned.
What we all know concerning the victims
A complete of 181 passengers, together with younger youngsters, and crew members had been onboard the flight when it crashed.
Most of the passengers are believed to have been Korean, however a minimum of two of had been Thai, Ju mentioned.
At least 84 of the useless had been girls and 82 had been males, officers mentioned.
At least 11 of these killed had been elementary, center and highschool college students, South Korea’s Education Ministry mentioned on Monday. At least 4 had been enrolled in elementary faculty, three in center faculty and 4 in highschool.
“One sufferer was recognized as a preschool baby born in 2021 and attending daycare,” Ministry of Education spokesperson Gu Yeon-hee mentioned.
Grieving members of the family of these killed within the crash have gathered at Muan airport demanding solutions on what occurred to their family members and to see their our bodies.
The households have shaped a gaggle led by Park Han-shin, who misplaced his brother within the crash.
On Monday, Park issued numerous calls for on behalf of the households, together with that Jeju Air cowl the prices of funeral companies for these killed and {that a} memorial be arrange for the victims contained in the airport.
The Seoul metropolis authorities mentioned Monday it’s going to arrange a joint memorial altar for the victims and decrease or cancel year-end occasions throughout the nationwide mourning interval.
Park additionally mentioned that extra freezer containers had been wanted on the airport to protect crash victims. An absence of storage for our bodies is a rising concern among the many grieving households.
Finally, Park mentioned the households would wish solutions on what precisely occurred to their family members, in addition to compensation for his or her loss.
“You want to obviously set up what went flawed, why it went flawed, and allocate applicable compensation and procedures accordingly,” he mentioned.
The survivors
Two individuals, a person and a girl who had been each flight crew members, survived Sunday’s crash. Both suffered average accidents, however had been concious, Ju mentioned.
South Korea’s Yonhap information company recognized one of many survivors as a 33-year-old flight attendant who suffered a number of accidents, together with fractured ribs and traumatic spinal accidents, based on Ju Woong, director of Ewha Woman’s University Seoul Hospital.
“When I wakened, I had already been rescued,” the flight attendant, recognized solely by his final identify, Lee, mentioned, based on Ju Woong. They had been in intensive care however in a position to talk nicely.
“There’s no indication but of reminiscence loss or such,” Ju Woong mentioned.
New security measures
Officials have already introduced plans for brand spanking new security measures.
A particular investigation of the Boeing B737-800 plane mannequin could be launched, MOLIT mentioned on Monday.
The plane mannequin is broadly utilized by home low-cost carriers, with Jeju Air working the most important quantity at 39 planes. Other operators embody T’manner Air, Jin Air, Eastar Jet, Air Incheon and Korean Air.
“We will look at compliance with varied rules, together with operational information, inspections, and upkeep carried out earlier than and after flights,” Ju mentioned.
He mentioned a assessment into chicken strikes and rules aimed toward lowering such incidents would even be undertaken.
“For new airport initiatives, we’ll completely look at chicken strike points and develop supplementary measures with specialists,” he added.
