It’s happened on the 29th of December, two thousand twenty-four: a mishap with an airplane set tragic records in South Korea, and the plane was Jeju Air Flight-2216, a Boeing 737-800. The airplane crashed at Muan International Airport. The flight was from Bangkok, Thailand, to Muan, a popular tourist destination, and had on board 181 passengers and crew members. The journey was supposed to be a routine jaunt, but it turned into a disaster, claiming lives of 179 persons and a nation into a mourn.

This is something that has rattled the entire world aviation community. It would become one of South Korea’s worst air disasters in recent history. Family and friends of victims mourn their dead, while authorities work diligently to reconstruct the events that led to this tragedy.

Sequence of Events

The ill-fated flight had arisen uneventfully until it came near its destination, Muan International Airport. As the flight neared the airport, however, air traffic controllers warned the crew of bird activities close to the runway. Shortly after that, the pilot sent a distress signal saying that an emergency had arisen.

Reports indicate that a bird strike had caused very much damage to the landing gear of the airplane, hindering its landing ability. A critical situation appeared to the crew, who attempted an emergency belly landing. Sadly, however, the plane skidded from the runway, hit a concrete barrier, and caught fire.

Eyewitnesses described the grief scene as the plane burst into flames and areas where huge inferno has erupted, quickly emergency response teams working over 45 minutes to fight the fire. Their labor could not save a majority, even though valiant efforts were made.

Casualties and Survivors

Of the 181 people on board, including a 3-year-old boy, 179 died in the crash. The vast majority were South Korean nationals, along with two Thai nationals. Miraculously, two crew members survived, though they sustained serious injuries and remain hospitalized.

Investigation and Possible Causes

Current indications suggest that there would be failure of the landing gear due to birdstrike. Experts are also investigating the presence of the concrete wall which is near the runway; they are testing if it aggravates the disaster. The black boxes of the plane have been recovered, and the thorough investigation is underway to see the exact sequence of events and causative factors. 

Response and Aftermath

The operation of emergency services had also been done in less than 45 minutes, and the fire was put off. Jeju Air’s CEO expressed profound sympathy to the families of those who died in the incident and had promised full cooperation in the ongoing investigation. This has been known as the deadliest aviation disaster in South Korean territory, resulting in national mourning and a reassessment of aviation safety protocol.

Additional Details
Here’s a in detail overview of the crash scene and the details