An abnormal flame coming out of the right engine of the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 series aircraft as it comes to land before crashing and bursting into flames at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province,
An abnormal flame coming out of the right engine of the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 series aircraft as it comes to land before crashing and bursting into flames at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province,
The Boeing 737-800 was originally thought to have crashed after it collided mid-air with a flock of birds on Sunday, following a series of text messages from a passenger that spread across the internet.
But some analysts were quick to suggest alternative causes, including technical glitches, arguing that a bird strike alone could not have caused a simultaneous failure of several critical components.
The plane, which had no visible landing gear deployed, was seen skidding down the runway before crashing into a wall and exploding into flames.
The plane skidded along the runway at Muan International Airport in South Korea before bursting into flames. Photo / via video
Experts are now wondering why fire trucks were not at the scene in time, why the plane landed so far down the runway and why it showed no sign of slowing down as it came in to land.
South Korean officials are investigating the cause of the crash, including whether a bird strike was involved.
Rescue personnel work near the tail section of a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 series aircraft after the plane crashed and burst into flames at Muan International Airport. Photo / AFP
They recovered the flight data recorder and later found the cockpit voice recorder, which they will use to gather key information about the plane’s systems and the events leading up to the crash.
While a bird strike warning was issued after the plane’s mayday call and footage emerged online showing what appeared to be birds striking the engine, it is unclear if this was the primary cause of the disaster.
The scene where a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 aircraft crashed and burst into flames at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, killing 179 people. Photo / South Korean National Fire Agency
Experts from Airline News say a bird strike is unlikely to have caused the landing gear failure, as bird strikes rarely cause a crash. Some also noted the plane’s failure to slow down after landing as a mystery.
Geoffrey Dell, an Australian airline safety expert, told Reuters: “I’ve never seen a bird strike prevent the landing gear from being extended.”
Trevor Jensen, an Australian aviation consultant, also explained to Reuters that emergency services are typically prepared for a belly landing.
Another view of the landing attempt of Jeju Air 7C2216 at Muan.
Choi Kee-young, a professor from from Inha University, told South Korea’s Yonhap news agency: “If you look at the video, the landing gear didn’t extend, and the plane crashed with very little loss of speed.
“An airplane has multiple brakes, and if the landing gear doesn’t work, the reverse-propelled engines lift the wing flaps, which act as air brakes. But they didn’t seem to have worked in this case.”
Joo Jong-Wan, South Korea’s deputy transport minister, said the runway’s 2800m length was not a contributing factor, and that walls at the ends were built to industry standards.
A passenger (face digitally blurred at source) is transferred from an ambulance to a medical facility following the crash of the aircraft. Photo / AFP
‘Very rare and very unusual’
Christian Beckert, a flight safety expert and Lufthansa pilot, said the video footage suggested that aside from the reversers, most of the plane’s braking systems were not activated, creating a “big problem” and a fast landing.
Beckert said a bird strike was unlikely to have damaged the landing gear while it was still up, and that if it had happened when it was down, it would have been hard to raise again.
An abnormal flame coming out of the right engine of the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 series aircraft as it comes to land before crashing and bursting into flames at Muan International Airport.
“It’s really, really very rare and very unusual not to lower the gear, because there are independent systems where we can lower the gear with an alternate system,” he added.
Kim Kyu-wang, the director of Hanseo University Flight Education Center, told Yonhap that a bird strike could have caused the landing gear to malfunction. “If birds fly into the engine, it can damage the engine and affect the hydraulic system connected to it,” he said.
“The hydraulic system raises and lowers the landing gear during takeoff and landing, and that part may have been damaged.”
Bird strikes have been a major concern for airports and aviation agencies for years. In the US, wildlife strikes cause more than $900 million in damage to aircraft each year and have resulted in more than 250 fatalities since 1988.
Data from the US Federal Aviation Administration and agriculture department show that bird strikes on planes are becoming more frequent.
From 1990 to 2023, there were 296,613 wildlife strikes globally, most of which were bird strikes. In 2023 alone, 19,603 strikes were recorded with 3.6% causing damage.
Bird strikes are especially dangerous during take-off and landing when aircraft are at low altitudes and most vulnerable.
To reduce the risks, airports normally implement several strategies, such as adjusting flight schedules to avoid peak bird activity, managing nearby habitats to deter birds, and using non-lethal methods like bird hazing or removal.
A plane carrying 181 people crashed off the runway and smashed into a wall at South Korea's Muan International Airport. Photo / AFP
Radar systems are also used to detect bird activity along flight paths, providing pilots with key information to avoid potential hazards. Efforts to reduce bird strikes have been implemented at many airports since the 1990s.
These measures include US$400 million in wildlife-related projects across the US as well as research funds dedicated to improving wildlife hazard management since the “Miracle on the Hudson” incident in 2009, which was caused by the collision with a flock of Canada geese.
Chesley Sullenberger, the pilot, was famously able to bring the aircraft down on the Hudson River in New York City.
South Korea’s aviation industry has a solid track record for safety, experts say.
This is the first fatal accident in the history of Jeju Air, one of South Korea’s largest low-cost carriers, which was set up in 2005.
On August 12, 2007, a Bombardier Q400 operated by Jeju Air carrying 74 passengers came off the runway due to strong winds at the southern Busan-Gimhae airport, resulting in a dozen injuries.
