South Korea is in a state of mourning after a airplane crash killed 179 folks in what’s now being known as one of many nation’s worst aviation disasters. Solely two folks survived the accident.
Authorities are nonetheless scrambling to pinpoint the precise motive why the plane – Jeju Air Flight 2216 from Thailand to South Korea – malfunctioned whereas touchdown on Sunday, main it to crash right into a concrete barrier and go up in flames.
Officers mentioned they’re painstakingly figuring out victims’ our bodies, which have been extensively broken within the crash. Some households are indignant, nonetheless, and blame the authorities for being too gradual to launch the our bodies of their family members.
Sunday’s catastrophe comes days after an Azerbaijan Airways flight crashed within the Kazakh metropolis of Aktau on Wednesday, killing 38 folks and injuring 29. The flight was on its solution to Grozny in Russia’s Chechnya area.
South Korean authorities have declared seven days of nationwide mourning. Performing President Choi Sang-mok has additionally ordered an intensive probe into the crash and an emergency test of the nation’s complete airline security system.
On Monday, one other Jeju Air flight from Seoul to Jeju Island returned to base after figuring out a mechanical problem affecting its touchdown gear.
Right here’s what to learn about Sunday’s catastrophe:
When and the place did the airplane crash?
The Boeing 737-800 jet crashed within the city of Muan at 9:03am (00:03 GMT) on Sunday. The city is about 290km (180 miles) south of Seoul, and the flight had flown from Bangkok, Thailand.
Video footage confirmed how the airplane sped throughout the airstrip, overshot the runway and crashed right into a concrete barrier earlier than erupting right into a fireball. Plumes of black smoke billowed from the wreckage.
The plane had accomplished a stomach touchdown, which means the airplane’s touchdown gear was not deployed. A airplane’s retractable wheels present the primary help for an plane when it’s taxiing, taking off, touchdown or is stationary.
Officers mentioned almost all the airplane was destroyed within the explosion. Solely its tail was recognisable, and that’s the place the 2 survivors have been pulled from.
Who was on board the airplane?
A complete of 181 folks have been on the flight, together with six crew members, based on South Korean authorities.
Of these, 179 folks died within the crash whereas two crew members who have been within the tail part survived. The person and lady have been taken to hospital. The person is at present in a position to talk totally, based on native media stories.
Many of the passengers have been South Korean nationals and have been getting back from holidaying in Thailand. The oldest particular person was 78, and the youngest was three years outdated, based on the flight manifest. One household misplaced 9 members within the crash.
Two of the victims – recognized as Jongluk Doungmanee, 45, and Sirithon Chaue, 22 – have been Thai officers, based on the federal government of Thailand.
Have all of the our bodies been recognized?
Not all of the our bodies have been recognized as a result of many have been badly broken. Joo Jong-wan, the aviation coverage director on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, mentioned 141 our bodies had been recognized by Monday.
Solely 5 our bodies have been launched on Monday. Grieving and indignant kin have been ready on the airport since Sunday. Some kin have complained that the identification course of is taking too lengthy.
Officers instructed households they’re taking their time so errors with the identification and launch course of usually are not made. An area police officer mentioned the 5 our bodies launched have been the one ones nonetheless intact. There shall be extra identifications on Tuesday morning, he instructed reporters.
Households camped out in inexperienced emergency tents arrange within the airport’s departure corridor to offer privateness to the grieving kin.
Why did the airplane crash? Was it a hen strike?
It’s nonetheless not clear precisely what prompted the failed touchdown, and specialists mentioned the crash is perplexing as a result of the airplane didn’t seem to have any points.
Authorities investigators have retrieved the flight information and cockpit voice recorders, which can assist them decide the reason for the crash and the following fireplace. Nevertheless, it may take a number of weeks to get the outcomes.
Authorities are exploring if the plane had been struck by birds and if that had led to an engine failure and the issue with the wheels.
Officers mentioned the airport management tower had issued a hen strike warning to the airplane shortly earlier than its pilot signalled the intentions to land and acquired permission to land in a unique space. Nevertheless, earlier than the airplane landed, the pilot issued a mayday and reported a hen strike to air controllers.
The airplane landed unusually, other than the absent touchdown gear, specialists mentioned. It hit the runway two-thirds of the way in which down, which means it nonetheless had method an excessive amount of pace and too little room to decelerate, main it to hit the concrete barrier on the finish of the strip.
Hen strikes are widespread occurrences in aviation. A airplane may fly by means of a flock of birds and ingest a hen into its engine, inflicting system failures. Nevertheless, these accidents are hardly ever deadly for people.
Some specialists mentioned it was unlikely {that a} hen strike was the only issue resulting in the crash as a result of airplane producers issue that into the design of contemporary planes. These controls imply that when a fault corresponding to a failed engine or failed touchdown gear happens, there are different programs that kick into place to help the plane.
What’s Jeju Air? And who manufactured the airplane?
Named after Jeju Island, the airline is the primary and largest of South Korea’s funds carriers. It started operations in 2005 as a joint public-private partnership between the Aekyung Group and the federal government of Jeju province. Its headquarters and largest airport base is in Jeju Metropolis.
On Sunday, Jeju Air bosses bowed deeply and issued a public apology at a information convention.
“We deeply apologise to all these affected by the incident. We’ll make each effort to resolve the state of affairs,” the corporate mentioned in an announcement.
The airline has solely recorded one different air accident: In 2007, a Sprint 8-400 plane overshot the runway at Busan’s Gimhae Worldwide Airport. All 79 folks on board survived though 4 passengers have been injured.
Two Jeju Air flights have been flagged by the Transport Ministry in March 2022 for failing to comply with security protocols. The flights have been grounded for seven to twenty days.
The airplane that crashed on Sunday was manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 737-800 was 15 years outdated. Normal plane are normally 10 to twenty years outdated, based on aviation specialists.
Boeing has come beneath fireplace lately for an additional class of plane, the Boeing 737 MAX, which was linked to fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 folks. This yr, the plane suffered several incidents, together with a cabin door that blew out midair on an Alaskan Airways flight in January.
After Sunday’s crash, Boeing mentioned it stood “able to help” Jeju Air and it was in contact with the airline.
Has South Korea had some other main airplane accidents?
Sure. On August 6, 1997, Korea Air Flight 801 from Seoul crashed into the mountains in Guam because it approached an airport, killing 229 of 254 folks on board. The plane was a 12-year-old Boeing 747-300, and the crash occurred on account of a number of causes, together with lowered visibility from heavy rains, pilot fatigue and insufficient flight crew coaching.
In one other incident in 1989, a Korea Air flight from Seoul to Tripoli crashed whereas touchdown. The airplane overshot the runway and struck homes and vehicles because it taxied off beam. In all, 75 passengers and 4 folks exterior the airplane have been killed.
What’s the newest on the bottom?
A whole lot of firefighters and safety officers are swarming the crash website, digging by means of particles to collect DNA and different proof.
Authorities on Monday started an emergency “complete inspection” of all Boeing 737-800 plane operated by all airways within the nation. Aviation official Joo Jang-wan instructed reporters there are 101 of these plane operated by six carriers and all shall be “totally” inspected.
Relations are additionally offering their saliva and different DNA samples to assist officers establish the deceased. They mentioned they need officers to maneuver quicker and ship the our bodies of their family members.
“We would like [the government] to get well our households one hundred pc or a minimum of 80 p.c as quickly as doable,” Park Han-shin, whose brother died within the crash and who’s a spokesman for the households, instructed reporters on Monday.
He added that households are additionally demanding compensation from Jeju Air. “The one method for bereaved households to really feel that [Jeju Air] has accomplished every little thing it could actually is to assist bereaved households financially. Mother and father of a household have handed away. There are solely children left, and the way can they stay on their very own? That is one thing neither the provincial officers nor the federal government might help with,” he mentioned.
The crash occurred at a tumultuous political time in South Korea. It was triggered by President Yoon Suk-yeol’s imposition of martial legislation, resulting in his impeachment. Performing President Han Duck-soo was additionally impeached this week.
Many within the nation are apprehensive about how a management vacuum may have an effect on the investigations. Performing President Choi was on the crash website on Monday and urged officers to make use of all obtainable assets to establish the lacking.
