Muan, South Korea – A Jeju Air plane carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea crashed on arrival Sunday, smashing into a barrier and bursting into flames, leaving all but two of its passengers feared dead. The incident occurred at Muan International Airport, just minutes after the flight from Bangkok attempted to land.
Authorities have cited a bird strike and adverse weather conditions as the likely causes of the crash. The aircraft was almost completely destroyed, with debris strewn across the area and the bodies of victims making identification a challenging task, according to fire officials at the scene.
The flight, Jeju Air Flight 2216, was carrying 175 passengers, including two Thai nationals, and six crew members when it landed on its belly at Muan Airport. Disturbing video footage of the crash showed the plane skidding off the runway with smoke billowing from its engines, before slamming into a wall and erupting into a violent explosion.
“Passengers were ejected from the aircraft after it collided with the wall, leaving little chance of survival,” a fire official told family members in a briefing, as reported in a statement from the Muan Fire Department. “The plane is almost completely destroyed, and identifying the deceased is proving difficult. The process is taking time as we locate and recover the remains.”
By mid-afternoon, 120 deaths had been confirmed, with only two survivors — both flight attendants. The fire department said the crash happened just minutes after the plane’s Mayday call was issued, two minutes before impact, following a bird strike warning from the control tower.
According to the Ministry of Land, the crash occurred at 9:03 a.m. local time (0003 GMT), just minutes after the crew received a bird strike alert. Despite the warning, the aircraft attempted to land, leading to the catastrophic crash. Authorities clarified that the runway length of 2,800 meters — a standard size for such operations — was not a factor in the accident.
“The runway is long enough for similar-sized aircraft, and there have been no issues in the past,” the official stated. “It is unlikely that the accident was caused by the runway length.”
Fire Chief Lee Jeong-hyun of Muan Fire Station confirmed that the cause was “presumed to be a bird strike combined with adverse weather conditions.” However, he emphasized that a joint investigation would be conducted to determine the exact cause of the crash.
Jeju Air, the low-cost carrier operating the flight, issued a statement of apology, expressing deep regret for the loss of life and promising full cooperation with the authorities. “We sincerely apologize for causing concern,” the airline said in a post on its official social media channels.
Boeing, the manufacturer of the aircraft, also expressed support for Jeju Air and pledged to assist with the investigation. “We are in contact with Jeju Air and are ready to support them in any way possible,” Boeing said.
South Korea’s acting President, Choi Sang-mok, who had only been in office for a few days, convened an emergency meeting to discuss the ongoing rescue operations and responses to the tragic event. He later traveled to Muan to oversee the situation personally.
The crash has left the nation in shock, as authorities continue to work through the difficult task of identifying victims and providing assistance to the surviving crew members.
