Plane crash in South Korea kills 179, Jeju Air under investigation

Graphic by Sei Nam

On Dec. 29, 2024, a Korean airplane from Jeju Air tragically crashed at Muan International Airport in South Korea, killing 179 passengers of the 181 on board. 

The airplane left Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, at 2:28 AM local time on Dec. 29, 2024, en route to Muan International Airport (MWX) in South Korea. The aircraft was initially cleared to land at Muan on a routine approach to Runway 01. 

However, at 9:00 AM the pilot requested authorization to land on Runway 19, which was in the opposite direction of the original approach. Cleared by the Air Traffic Control (ATC), the pilot performed a steep descent to land but ultimately made a belly landing at 9:02 AM. Unable to slow down, the airplane came off the runway before crashing into a concrete embankment, bursting into flames, leaving only two survivors out of 181 passengers. 

Several potential causes are being investigated, but the true catalyst behind the crash remains unclear. 

One crucial obstacle that inhibits further investigation is the loss of data from the plane’s two black boxes. According to South Korea’s transport ministry, both black boxes stopped recording approximately 2 kilometers before the runway, 4 minutes before the crash. Without this data to provide critical information regarding the aircraft’s final moments, the cause of this incident has been significantly complex to unveil.

Ironically, this aberration acts as possible key evidence of the aircraft’s loss of electrical power before its emergency landing. Preliminary reports suggest the aircraft suffered a bird strike to both engines, resulting in a complete loss of power and hydraulic systems. Feathers and bloodstains were found in both engines of the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800, which South Korean investigators identified to be from a flock of Baikal teal ducks–a type of seasonally migratory duck that typically fly to South Korea from Siberia for the winters in huge flocks. A preliminary report states, “The pilots identified a group of birds while approaching runway 01, and a security camera filmed HL8088 coming close to a group of birds during a go-around,” 

One minute before the pilots issued a ‘mayday’ emergency declaration, they were cautioned of “bird activity” by the ATC. The ministry voices suspicion on the occurrence of bird strikes against the plane between those two reports, shutting down both engines shortly before the pilot attempted an emergency landing. Loss of electrical power and hydraulic systems ensued, resulting in a belly dive and both black boxes–the flight data recorder(FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR)–missing the final minutes of the crash. 

Korea Airports Corporation is now facing scrutiny regarding the concrete barriers, which the plane crashed into, due to its accused part in aggravating the severity of the crash. The embankment was originally intended for navigational purposes but has now become a focal point of the investigation, with safety experts questioning its structural integrity. The Ministry of Transport has been forced to announce accordingly, a comprehensive infrastructure upgrade: replacement of the existing concrete structure with a more durable alternative at all national airports. 

Additionally, the issue of multiple bird roosting and feeding grounds surrounding Muan International Airport,​​ where the crash occurred, has been receiving great attention as the engine's vulnerability to bird strikes poses an ongoing risk to subsequent flights. Consequently, urgent calls for improving wildlife management have been issued to take place, aiming to prevent similar disasters.