Fire Authorities: "Surviving Crew Member Reports 'Bird Strike'"

A surviving crew member of the Jeju Air passenger plane accident that occurred at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do stated that a 'bird strike' is presumed to be the cause of the accident.

On the 29th, a Jeju Air passenger plane carrying 181 passengers collided with the outer wall of the runway while landing at Muan International Airport, causing a fire that resulted in the deaths of most passengers. The wreckage of the aircraft is placed on the runway of Muan International Airport, Jeollanam-do. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

According to the Jeollanam-do Fire Headquarters on the 29th, crew member A of Jeju Air flight 7C2216, who was rescued at the accident site that day, said, "It is presumed to be a bird strike. Smoke came out from one engine and then it exploded." The crew member was transferred to a hospital in the Mokpo area for treatment and is in stable condition.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport also pointed out 'bird strike' as one of the main causes of the disaster in its initial accident response announcement. The ministry held a briefing at the Government Sejong Complex in the afternoon, explaining, "The control tower warned the Jeju Air accident aircraft of a 'bird strike' just before landing," and "about one minute after the bird strike warning, the pilot requested a distress signal 'Mayday,' and the accident occurred about five minutes later." The ministry added, "The flight data recorder has been collected by the accident investigation committee," and "the voice recorder will be additionally secured depending on the situation at the site."

Earlier that day, at around 9:03 a.m., a report was received that Jeju Air flight 7C2216, a Boeing 737-800 from Bangkok, Thailand, had an accident while attempting to land on the runway at Muan International Airport. The aircraft, which attempted a belly landing due to landing gear failure, collided with the outer wall of the runway, broke in half, and was engulfed in flames.

As of 3:18 p.m., the fire authorities have recovered 124 deceased victims and are confirming additional casualties at the scene. Except for the two crew members rescued in the morning, most of the passengers are presumed dead. The Jeollanam-do Fire Headquarters held a briefing for the families of the passengers at the Muan Airport terminal that day, stating, "After colliding with the fence, passengers were thrown out of the aircraft. The possibility of survival is almost none."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.