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All rights reserved Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker By 2025-01-21T19:38:00+00:00 Korea’s government has disclosed that Muan airport’s runway will remain closed at least until 18 April following the fatal Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crash on 29 December The transport ministry says the closure is being extended in order to take “follow-up measures” in the aftermath of the accident “Timing of the resumption of airport operations is currently fluid,” it adds “But the government plans to implement swiftly necessary measures to ensure safe and normal airport operations in the future.” The three-month closure of runway 01/19 for “work in progress” is confirmed in a NOTAM for Muan published on 21 January It has not specified the nature of the work but the government had recently disclosed the results of a safety inspection which showed seven airports had navigation systems built on concrete foundations or platforms the 737 collided with the mounting of Muan’s localiser antenna The 737’s collision with the Muan localiser antenna platform Only two survivors emerged from the 181 on board Several Korean media channels have reported that police are investigating the death of a former head of the Korea Airports Corporation President Son Chang-wan had never been under investigation in relation to the accident according to a Jeonnam police agency official cited by Korean broadcaster SBS It also quotes a Gyeonggi police official as stating that the death is not being treated as suspicious Korean authorities have listed recurrent training for multiple engine shutdown as well as bird-strike response procedures among safety improvements planned in the aftermath of the fatal Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crash While the inquiry has yet to reach conclusion over the 29 December accident the Korean transport ministry ordered a .. Italian carrier ITA Airways has edged into full-year operating profit with a surplus of €3 million ($3.4 million) a performance which it claims is ahead of schedule While ITA also posted a net loss of €227 million it states that it achieved the positive operating result even before the intervention .. Middle Eastern carrier Emirates is expanding its mainland China reach with a fifth destination Emirates plans to open the daily Dubai-Hangzhou service on 30 July – subject to government confirmation – and deploy Boeing 777-300ERs on the route Deputy president Adnan Kazim says the expansion .. controllers temporarily lost ability to ”see hear or talk to” pilots flying jets to and from Newark Republican lawmakers have proposed a plan to provide the Federal Aviation Administration with $15 billion to fund air traffic control (ATC) modernisation a move coming several weeks after US transportation chief Sean Duffy committed to such an effort Indian investigators state that the crew of an ATR 72-600 experienced “unusual” vibrations and felt the aircraft sink on final approach just before it landed short of the runway at Bhubaneswar last October The Alliance Air aircraft (VT-RKF) had been inbound from Rourkela FlightGlobal is the global aviation community’s primary source of news analytics and advisory services to connect the aviation community globally and help organisations shape their business strategies identify new opportunities and make better decisions faster Site powered by Webvision Cloud member-first insights and commentary on the global aviation industry which was shut in December due to a passenger plane crash has resumed flights for emergency medical care and educational training after 56 days Muan International Airport was completely closed due to the Jeju Air passenger plane crash on Dec The country's aviation authorities allowed flights approved by the airport's control tower for rescue Some 179 out of a total 181 passengers on board were killed when a Jeju Air jet from Bangkok erupted into flames on Dec 29 after crashing into the localizer's concrete mound as it overshot the runway when it made an emergency belly landing at the airport about 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Seoul Aviation authorities also permitted educational institutions to conduct visual flights during the week without using a localizer which provides precision guidance to aircraft approaching a runway five universities and three private organizations conduct flight training at the airport Civilian passenger flights to and from Muan have been suspended until April 18 to allow for safety and facility inspections The official in charge of the 2020 renovation of Muan International Airport in South Korea has been found dead at his home of an apparent suicide Tuesday evening. Last month, a Jeju Air Boeing 737 slammed into a concrete support off the end of the runway at Muan International, killing all but two of the 181 on board. According to a New York Times post Son Chang-wan was president of the Korea Airports Corporation from 2018 to 2022 but was not named in the police investigation of the crash which is largely blamed on the placement of the concrete barrier surrounding the localizer antenna off the end of the south-facing single runway After the investigation spurred by the fatal crash South Korea has mandated removing concrete barriers from seven airports in the country The barriers support and protect navigation equipment such as the localizer antenna at Muan where the Jeju Air flight overran the runway during an emergency landing after an apparent bird strike the damage and resulting loss of life would likely have been much less than the 179 killed The resulting safety inspection has also led to revising the airports’ runway safety areas Officials are planning to either replace the concrete supports with breakaway structures or bury them below grade on the runway overruns in nine locations throughout the country. According to a BBC report a post-crash investigation revealed that a Muan International Airport operating manual recommended relocating the localizer antenna as part of a planned expansion South Korea — A jetliner skidded off a runway slammed into a concrete fence and burst into flames Sunday in South Korea after its landing gear apparently failed to deploy All but two of the 181 people on board were killed in one of the country's worst aviation disasters The 737-800 operated by Jeju Air plane arrived from Bangkok and crashed while attempting to land in the town of Muan Footage of the crash aired by South Korean television channels showed the plane skidding across the airstrip at high speed evidently with its landing gear still closed Other TV stations aired footage showing thick They were conscious and did not appear to have any life-threatening injuries told a televised briefing that the plane was completely destroyed with only the tail assembly still recognizable in the wreckage Officials were investigating the cause of the crash including whether the aircraft was struck by birds The control tower issued a warning about birds to the plane shortly before it intended to land and gave the crew permission to land in a different area The crew sent out a distress signal shortly before the crash Senior Transport Ministry official Joo Jong-wan said workers retrieved the jet's flight data and cockpit voice recorders He said it may take months for investigators to complete their probe The runway at the Muan airport will be closed until Jan former FAA safety team representative in the U.S. told Fox News that it appeared to him that the aircraft was traveling too fast as it skidded on the the runway before striking what he believed was a structure that housed instrument landing equipment "I think that's pretty much what spelled disaster for that airplane," he said One of the survivors was being treated for fractures to his ribs director of the Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital told doctors he "woke up to find (himself) rescued." Details on the other survivor were not immediately available The passengers were predominantly South Korean and included two people from Thailand Officials identified 88 of them in the hours after the crash expressed condolences to the families of those aboard the plane in a post on X Paetongtarn said she ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide assistance told The Associated Press that his daughter had been working in a factory in South Korea for several years and returned to Thailand to visit her family "I never thought that this would be the last time we would see each other forever," he said confirmed in a statement that Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 departed from Suvarnabhumi Airport with no reports of anything abnormal aboard the aircraft or on the runway Jeju Air in a statement expressed its "deep apology" over the crash and said it will do its "utmost to manage the aftermath of the accident." bowed deeply with other senior company officials as he apologized to bereaved families and said he feels "full responsibility" for the crash Kim said the company had not identified any mechanical problems with the aircraft following regular checkups and that he would wait for the results of government investigations into the cause of the incident Family members wailed as officials announced the names of some victims at a lounge in the Muan airport Boeing said in a statement on X that it was in contact with Jeju Air and was ready to support the company in dealing with the crash The crash happened as South Korea is embroiled in a political crisis triggered by President Yoon Suk Yeol's stunning imposition of martial law and ensuing impeachment South Korean lawmakers on Friday impeached acting President Han Duck-soo and suspended his duties leading Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok to take over called for officials to use all available resources to identify the dead as soon as possible The government declared Muan a special disaster zone and designated a weeklong national mourning period presided over an emergency meeting between senior presidential staff to discuss the crash and reported the details to Choi Yoon expressed condolences to the victims in a Facebook posting Pope Francis said he joined in "prayer for the survivors and the dead." The Muan crash is one of the deadliest disasters in South Korea's aviation history The last time South Korea suffered a large-scale air disaster was in 1997 when a Korean Airline plane crashed in Guam an Asiana Airlines plane crash-landed in San Francisco Sunday's accident was also one of the worst landing mishaps since a July 2007 crash that killed all 187 people on board and 12 others on the ground when an Airbus A320 slid off a slick airstrip in Sao Paulo according to data compiled by the Flight Safety Foundation a nonprofit group aimed at improving air safety 158 people died when an Air India Express aircraft overshot a runway in Mangalore and plummeted into a gorge before erupting into flames Become an NPR sponsor Pressure builds on authorities to establish cause of crash which killed 179 people Police in South Korea have raided Muan international airport, the scene of Sunday’s plane crash as well as the office of the airline that operated the flight The aftermath of the crash now appears to include police involvement with media reporting that officers had also raided a third location on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death “In relation to the plane accident that occurred on December 29 a search and seizure operation is being conducted from 9am on January 2 at three locations,” including Muan airport “The police plan to swiftly and rigorously determine the cause and responsibility for this accident in accordance with the law and principles.” Investigators planned to seize documents and materials related to the operation and maintenance of the aircraft as well as the operation of airport facilities An official said police had banned the Jeju Air chief executive and another unidentified official from leaving the country calling them key witnesses who potentially face charges of causing deaths by negligence which is punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won (£10,950) Pressure is building on authorities to establish the cause of the crash, which occurred after the Boeing 737-800’s landing gear apparently failed to deploy as it came in to land at Muan Inspectors have retrieved both black boxes from the charred remains of the aircraft and are working to decode data from the cockpit voice recorder is to be transferred to the US for analysis after local officials said they were unable to extract data from the device The government ordered an emergency safety inspection of South Korea’s entire aviation operations are being carried out on all 101 Boeing 737-800s used by six of the country’s airlines said “immediate action” must be taken if the inspections uncovered any irregularities with the aircraft “As there is great public concern about the same aircraft model involved in the accident the transport ministry and relevant agencies must conduct a thorough inspection of operation maintenance education and training,” Choi said on Thursday If any issues are found during the inspection The investigation has yet to determine why the landing gear appeared to fail with a bird strike and mechanical failure among the possible causes It is also focusing on a concrete barrier near the end of the runway the location of which has drawn criticism from aviation experts The passengers are thought to have died when the plane smashed into the barrier at high speed who include five children aged under 10 and nine members of the same family were allowed to visit the site on Wednesday for the first time since the crash They placed tteokguk – rice-cake soup traditionally eaten on New Year’s Day – and cried as they said goodbye to their loved ones Hundreds of people waited patiently to pay their respects at a nearby memorial altar set up to honour the victims forming a queue that stretched for several hundred metres Other altars have been set up across the country As the tragic plane crash at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do on Sunday (Dec. 29) left most passengers presumed dead, the church community in Korea has expressed its condolences, according to reporting by Christian Daily Korea "We extend our deepest sympathies and words of comfort to the victims of the sudden accident at Muan Airport and their bereaved families While no words can sufficiently console in such a devastating situation we hope everyone will join in bearing the sorrow and mourning together." "We urge the government and authorities to prioritize their efforts to handle this incident swiftly and mobilize every available resource for its resolution we ask that measures be implemented through this process to ensure such a tragedy is never repeated," the CCK statement said The National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) also expressed condolences in its statement "The Korean Church stands with the bereaved families in their immense grief and prays for the swift recovery of the injured and for God's great comfort to be upon all the people of the nation." "We ask all churches nationwide to pray for those who have experienced this great tragedy and to join hearts in offering consolation and all related parties to prioritize human life in their response and establish responsible measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again," it continued "We caution against any political interpretation or exploitation of this accident We call on the government and the National Assembly to collaborate and focus on resolving the situation as a first priority." a passenger plane carrying 181 people skidded off the runway at high speed crashing into a wall before erupting in flames Two crew members were pulled alive from the tail section of the burning aircraft authorities confirmed that the remaining 179 passengers had perished a widely popular low-cost carrier — as the deadliest aviation disaster involving a South Korean airline in nearly 30 years and the most catastrophic on South Korean soil to date The cause of the crash is still being investigated Help keep The Christian Daily free for everyone By making a recurring donation or a one-time donation of any amount you're helping to keep CDI's articles free and accessible for everyone Hope you’ll give us another try and check out some other articles. Return to homepage. is being taken to the United States for analysis in cooperation with the NTSB.Joo said on Wednesday it may be difficult to release the audio files from the cockpit voice recorder to the public as they will be critical to the ongoing investigation.Investigators from the NTSB FAA and Boeing are in South Korea to help the probe.South Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok said in a disaster management meeting that immediate action must be taken if a special inspection of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated in the country finds any issues."As there's great public concern about the same aircraft model involved in the accident the transport ministry and relevant organisations must conduct a thorough inspection of operation and training," Choi said.His comments at the start of the meeting were provided by his office.Choi asked that no effort be spared in helping the families of the victims as the remains of those killed are handed over to them He also asked the police to take action against anyone posting "malicious" messages and fake news on social media related to the disaster.($1 = 1,467.2400 won)Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin Hyonhee Shin and Jihoon Lee in Seoul and Hyunsu Yim in Sejong Writing by Jack Kim; Editing by Kim Coghill Seoul-based reporter covering the Koreas with a focus on South Korean politics, North Korea's missile tests and the K-pop industry. Before joining Reuters, he worked at The Korea Herald. Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Sunday declared a weeklong national mourning period following the tragic Muan plane crash that claimed nearly 180 lives marking South Korea's worst domestic aviation disaster to date the government designates a seven-day national mourning period until midnight on Jan 4," Choi announced Sunday evening during a Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting held in Seoul The meeting marked the third of its kind addressing the fatal crash which occurred earlier that day when a Jeju Air flight attempting to land veered off the runway at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province and burst into flames joint memorial altars will be established at the crash site and in 17 cities and provinces Flags will fly at half-staff across all ministries while public officials will wear mourning ribbons as a sign of respect "As the acting head of a government responsible for the safety and lives of its citizens I am overcome with indescribable grief and regret," said Choi who also serves as the country's finance minister and deputy prime minister He also declared Muan County a special disaster zone and pledged comprehensive support for those affected An integrated support center will be set up at the crash site to streamline and coordinate assistance for the bereaved families Each family will be assigned a dedicated public official to ensure personalized support while a forensic team will be stationed at the Muan airport to expedite victim identification having been warned of a potential bird strike signaled mayday and attempted an emergency "belly landing" as they were unable to deploy the plane's landing gear The aircraft overshot the runway and crashed into the perimeter fence Its fuselage was completely destroyed in the ensuing fire 179 of the 181 people onboard were confirmed dead with only two crew members surviving the crash The Korea Herald by Herald CorporationCopyright Herald Corporation Rescue team members work at the site of a plane crash at Muan International Airport in Muan Some experts and observers have said Muan International Airport’s localizer — a concrete fence at the end of the runway that houses a set of antennas designed to guide aircraft safely during landings — likely made the crash of the Jeju Air plane worse though the incident is still under investigation The Transport Ministry said Wednesday it will remove the structure at Muan airport and install a new one made of easily breakable materials It said it will push to remove or make adjustments at similar facilities at six airports across South Korea The black boxes of the Boeing jetliner stopped recording about four minutes before the accident possibly complicating investigations into the cause of the disaster Investigators have said that air traffic controllers warned the pilot about possible bird strikes two minutes before the aircraft issued a distress signal confirming that a bird strike had occurred after which the pilot attempted an emergency landing The preliminary accident report released by South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board on Monday said that feathers and bird blood stains were found in both engines "The samples were sent to specialized organizations for DNA analysis and a domestic organization identified them as belonging to Baikal teals," the report said This could complicate efforts to find the cause of the crash The Boeing 737-800 skidded off the runaway at Muan International Airport on Dec 29 after its landing gear failed to deploy slamming into a concrete structure and bursting into flames The flight was returning from Bangkok and all of the victims were South Koreans except for two Thai nationals which housed a set of antennas called a localizer that guides aircraft during landings should have been built with lighter materials that could break more easily upon impact South Korea's Transport Ministry announced last week that it will remove the concrete structure at the airport Investigators earlier said that air traffic controllers warned the pilots about possible bird strikes two minutes before the aircraft issued a distress signal confirming that a bird strike had occurred after which the pilots attempted an emergency landing The preliminary report said the pilots also noticed a group of birds while approaching the runway at the Muan airport and that a security camera filmed the plane coming close to birds during an aborted landing as well The report said authorities will disassemble the engines analyze the black box and air traffic control data "These all-out investigation activities aim to accurately determine the cause of the accident," the report said The Transport Ministry said the preliminary report has been sent to the International Civil Aviation Organization It said the Muan airport will remain closed until April 18 This blog is closed. Follow the latest news on the South Korea plane crash in our new blog One hundred and seventy-nine people are confirmed to have died in the catastrophic plane crash, which occurred on Sunday when a Jeju Air flight crash landed at Muan international airport. The plane appeared to land without landing gear before colliding with a concrete embankment and exploding. The cause of the crash is under investigation. Two members of the flight’s crew have survived, including a man who was awake and speaking to doctors today. Joe Biden offered his condolences and said the US was ready to provide “any necessary assistance”. The Korean government is offering funeral services and temporary housing to families of the victims of the crash. The country is in a seven-day national mourning period. The incident has highlighted the potential risks that instability at the highest level of government poses to disaster response. There were encouraging signs in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. South Korea’s rival political parties launched separate initiatives in response to the disaster, apparently setting aside the animosity of recent weeks. The opposition Democratic party leader, Lee Jae-myung, left for Muan, where he plans to stay indefinitely to support rescue efforts, the Hankyoreh newspaper said, although he will stay away from the crash site while recovery operations continue. The ruling People Power party, meanwhile, formed a taskforce focused on investigating the crash and supporting victims’ families. The party’s acting leader, Kweon Seong-dong, will visit Muan on Monday with taskforce members to “review accident response measures and prevention strategies” and meet bereaved families. “As close allies, the American people share deep bonds of friendship with the South Korean people and our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by this tragedy,” the statement said. “The United States stands ready to provide any necessary assistance.” Updated at 20.26 CET29 Dec 202418.54 CETThe father of a passenger who died in the Jeju Air crash in South Korea called the disaster “unbelievable”. Reuters reports: Updated at 18.55 CET29 Dec 202417.33 CETThe National Transportation Safety Board is leading a team of US investigators to help South Korea’s aviation authority in its investigation of the Jeju Air crash in Muan, Reuters reports. Boeing, the maker of the plane, and the Federal Aviation Administration are participating, NTSB said on Sunday. The director of the Seoul hospital where the survivor is being treated told reporters that the patient is able to communicate and is not displaying memory loss or other cognitive symptoms. The other survivor, also a flight attendant, is reportedly in stable condition at a separate hospital. Updated at 17.36 CET29 Dec 202417.17 CETAviation experts question the theory that a bird strike caused the Jeju Air crash in South Korea that killed almost all of the 181 passengers on board 179 people were killed in South Korea’s worst domestic civil aviation disaster on Sunday after a plane – flying from Bangkok - crashed while landing at Muan international airport shortly after 09:00 local time (00:00 GMT) including five children under the age of 10 were rescued from the wreckage and taken to hospital the youngest passenger was a three-year-old boy and the oldest was a 78-year-old Investigators are examining bird strikes and weather conditions as possible factors behind the crash Yonhap news agency cited airport authorities as saying a bird strike may have caused the landing gear to malfunction The plane involved in the crash was a Boeing 737-800 flown by Korean budget airline Jeju Air The runway at the airport is expected to be closed until 1 January Jeju Air said it “sincerely” apologised - with top officials shown bowing deeply at a press conference in Seoul - and vowed to do all it could to help South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, named interim leader of the country on Friday amid an ongoing political crisis, arrived at the scene of the accident and said the government was putting all its resources into dealing with the crash. A transport ministry official said workers had retrieved the flight data and cockpit voice recorders of the plane’s black box. They will be examined by government experts, but it could take up to a month to decode the flight data as it was damaged in the crash. The country declared a seven day national mourning period effective from Sunday, with memorial altars to be set up nationwide. Updated at 16.56 CET29 Dec 202416.39 CETRebecca RatcliffeRebecca Ratcliffe is the Guardian’s south-east Asia correspondent Thai media outlet Khaosod has spoken to Thiraphat Cha-ue who is one of two Thai women killed in the crash Sirithon, known by the nickname Mei, had been travelling to visit her mother, Suthinee, who has lived in South Korea for 10 years, Thiraphat said. Sirithon’s mother had been waiting to collect her at the airport. When Thiraphat saw the news on social media, he was too afraid to call her, he said. Thiraphat described Sirithon as the pride of the family. She had won a scholarship to study airline business management at Bangkok University and was in the fourth year of her course, he said. She dreamed of being an air hostess. “There were only three months left before she graduated,” he said, adding the family, from Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand, had been discussing going to her upcoming graduation ceremony in Bangkok. Tomorrow he would travel with Sirithon’s two younger brothers to South Korea, he said, to bring back her remains. Updated at 18.56 CET29 Dec 202416.10 CETRebecca RatcliffeThailand’s ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement that South Korean authorities had confirmed two Thai passengers were among the fatalities. The ministry of foreign affairs has already contacted the relatives of the deceased Thai nationals, while the Royal Thai Embassy has coordinated with the South Korean authorities and Jeju Airlines who are now facilitating the relatives’ travel from Thailand to South Korea. The ministry of foreign affairs would like to express its deepest condolences to all of the families of the deceased for their immense loss, particularly during this holiday season when families are traveling to reunite with loved ones. Updated at 16.52 CET29 Dec 202415.54 CETAmong the 177 bodies so far found, officials have so far identified 88 of them, the fire agency said. The passengers were predominantly South Korean, as well as two Thai nationals. Many of the passengers were reportedly returning from a Christmas spent in Thailand. 29 Dec 202415.29 CETRaphael RashidRaphael Rashid is reporting for the Guardian from Seoul South Korea’s suspended president, Yoon Suk Yeol, whose impeachment trial is pending following his failed martial law declaration earlier this month, wrote on Facebook a message expressing “deep condolences to those who lost their precious lives and to the bereaved families who lost their loved ones”. “I am devastated and heartbroken,” Yoon said. “I believe the government will do its best to manage the accident and support the victims. I will stand with the people to overcome this difficult situation as soon as possible.” 29 Dec 202415.13 CETJapanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba has said he was “deeply saddened by the loss of many precious lives” in a message released through Tokyo’s foreign ministry. It follows similar messages of condolences, including from China, the UK and Ukraine. are in South Korea to help probe the worst air disaster in the country.Choi asked no effort be spared in helping the families of the victims as the remains of those killed are handed over them He also asked the police to take action against anyone posting "malicious" messages and fake news on social media related to the disaster.Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Sonali Paul and total passenger liability claims of $120 million to $180 million due to the crash managing director of global insurance ratings at Morningstar DBRS.Reporting by Ju-min Park Joyce Lee in Seoul and Hyonhee Shin in Sejong; additional reporting by Napat Wesshasartar in Bangkok Aatreyee Dasgupta in Bengaluru; Writing by Jack Kim; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan Ju-min Park and Hyonhee Shin; Writing by Jack Kim; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Stephen Coates Rescue workers are making their way through the wreckage of Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 which crash-landed at South Korea's Muan International Airport The aircraft was carrying 175 passengers and six crew when it crashed Two crew members have been pulled from the wreckage while dozens of people have been confirmed dead It is the deadliest aviation disaster to hit South Korea since 1997 when a Korean Airlines Boeing 747 crashed in the Guam jungle Experts told CNN that the plane’s undercarriage – specifically the wheels used for takeoff and landing – appeared not to have fully deployed before landing But what caused this failure to deploy is still unclear '+n.escapeExpression("function"==typeof(o=null!=(o=r(e,"eyebrowText")||(null!=l?r(l,"eyebrowText"):l))?o:n.hooks.helperMissing)?o.call(null!=l?l:n.nullContext||{},{name:"eyebrowText",hash:{},data:t,loc:{start:{line:28,column:63},end:{line:28,column:78}}}):o)+" \n '+(null!=(o=c(e,"if").call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2PreText"):l,{name:"if",hash:{},fn:n.program(32,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:63,column:20},end:{line:63,column:61}}}))?o:"")+"\n"+(null!=(o=(c(e,"ifAll")||l&&c(l,"ifAll")||n.hooks.helperMissing).call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Text"):l,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Link"):l,{name:"ifAll",hash:{},fn:n.program(34,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:64,column:20},end:{line:70,column:30}}}))?o:"")+" You don't have permission to access the page you requested. What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed. South Korea is in mourning following the deadliest ever aviation disaster on the country's soil on Sunday. A Jeju Air plane skidded down the runway at Muan Airport before crashing into a wall and bursting into flames, killing 179 people. a domestic law allows adjustments in a range that does not "significantly affect" the facility's performance."We'll look into whether there are any conflicts in our own regulations and conduct an additional review of our airport safety standards," Kim Hong-rak director general for airport and air navigation facilities policy told a briefing.Muan International Airport's Operations Manual said the navigation equipment had been installed too near the end of the runway or just 199 m (218 yards) from the crash site.The document prepared by Korea Airports Corp and uploaded on its website said the airport authority should "review securing additional distance during phase two of Muan International Airport's expansion".South Korean officials have previously said the structure was about 250 m (273 yards) from the end of the runway itself though a paved apron extends past that.The runway design did not meet industry best practices chief executive of Safety Operating Systems and a former 737 pilot adding that they preclude any hard structure like a berm within at least 300 m (330 yards) of the end of the runway.Video showed the plane appearing to slow down and in control when it went off the runway Cox said."When it hits that berm is when it turns into tragedy."Both floors of Muan airport’s main building were still packed with bereaved relatives on Tuesday evening as many waited for the opening of an altar to pay their respects Others rested in hundreds of tents erected in the airport social welfare and volunteer groups were busy supplying food and drink.Relatives took turns to bow in front of the makeshift altar lined with chrysanthemums and pictures of the dead.With the nation grieving New Year's Eve celebrations were cancelled across South Korea.Reporting by Hyonhee Shin in Sejong Dan Catchpole in Seattle and David Shepardson in Washington; Writing by Josh Smith; Editing by Michael Perry Grieving family members form unspoken bond overnight, agree to hold funerals together once identification is completed MUAN, South Jeolla Province -- The night stretched endlessly for hundreds of grieving family members as they waited for authorities to confirm the identities of their loved ones lost in the tragic plane crash. As the names of the victims were announced through microphones one by one, screams of desperation filled the air. At Muan International Airport, where a plane crashed on landing Sunday morning, claiming 179 lives, a woman burst into tears after hearing the name of a family member whose body had been identified. “We deeply regret your loss, please proceed to the next building,” a government official told her, referring to the location where family assistance services were being provided. As of Monday afternoon, despite the DNA tests underway, 33 bodies remained unidentified as they were so badly damaged. The plane was destroyed after it collided with the perimeter wall and burst into flames. The victims' bodies can only be transferred to their families for funerals and final goodbyes once their identities are confirmed. Bodies not yet transferred to funeral homes will be preserved in cold storage facilities set up in hangars and other designated areas. The family members at the airport, once strangers, bonded overnight in shared grief, agreeing to delay funerals until all identifications have been finalized. “We can make our voices heard when we stay together,” Park Han-sin, the representative of the bereaved families, said at the lounge of Muan International Airport on Monday. The bereaved shared the latest updates, and exchanged their thoughts on funeral-related procedures and a possible change to the location of the joint memorial altar set up at Muan Sports Park, five kilometers from the airport. But some revealed their pent-up, suffocating emotions as well. “How many planes take off from Muan Airport every day? If the plane wasn’t fit to land, they shouldn’t have allowed it,” a man at the airport said through a microphone, accusing the airport of poorly handling the crisis. “Who cares about Muan Sports Park?” the man asked. “I still haven’t seen the bodies of my wife and son — what’s the meaning of all this?” The man’s frustration soon spilled out in loud sobbing that silenced everyone in the lounge once again. The long list of victims included a nine-member family who returned home from a trip in celebration of an 80th birthday as well as municipal government officials on a trip to mark a colleague's retirement. The nine-member family had a 3-year-old baby accompanied by his parents in their 30s. Although government officials tried to update the families with the latest information, the families demanded to know more. “We told you to speak louder! We can’t hear you!” a person shouted to a Land Ministry official when an announcement was made at 6 p.m. Sunday. “What we wanted to know was which of the victims have been identified, or the procedures the families need to take to confirm their identities -- not how many died!” another person screamed during the announcement. As the sun rose, more cars and visitors gathered at the airport, even though it had closed and all passengers had been confirmed dead. Friends of the bereaved offered consolation. And the bereaved families, who tried to hide their emotions, burst into tears meeting friends who arrived at the scene. On the airport's second floor, temporary shelters organized by the Korean Red Cross and the Korea Housing Builders Association offered refuge to grieving families, whose cries of anguish pierced through the fragile walls. Stories told from where they are happening. 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All Rights Reserved. as officials said they’ve extracted data from one of the retrieved black boxes to find the exact cause of the crash All but two of the 181 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 737-800 operated by Jeju Air died when it crashed at Muan International Airport Video showed the aircraft without its landing gear deployed landing on its belly at high speed and then skidding off the end of the runaway into a concrete fence and bursting into flames The footage showed the plane was experiencing an apparent engine problem in addition to the landing gear malfunction Investigators say the pilot received a warning from air traffic controllers of possible bird strikes and the plane issued a distress signal before the crash. The Transport Ministry said in a statement Wednesday that it has completed work to extract data from the cockpit voice recorder — one of the two black boxes recovered from the wreckage. It said the data would be converted into audio files. A damaged flight data recorder will be sent to the United States for an analysis, the ministry added. World & Nation The Jeju Air plane crashed while landing in the town of Muan, located about 180 miles south of Seoul. The victims were South Korean, except for two Thais nationals, with many passengers returning from Bangkok after Christmas holidays. The bereaved families visited the site Wednesday for an emotional memorial service. They were bused to the site, where they took turns laying white flowers. Many knelt and bowed deeply before a memorial table laid with food, including “ddeokguk,” a Korean rice cake soup eaten on New Year’s Day. The Transport Ministry said authorities have completed the complicated process of identifying all 179 victims. It said the government has so far handed over 11 bodies to relatives. The country is observing seven days of national mourning following the deadliest disaster in South Korea’s aviation history in decades. A team of U.S. investigators including representatives from Boeing have examined the site of a plane crash that killed 179 people in South Korea. The government has begun safety inspections of all 101 Boeing 737-800s operated by the country’s domestic airlines. On Tuesday, a team of U.S. investigators, including representatives from Boeing, examined the crash site. Officials have said they will consider whether the airport’s localizer — a set of antennas housed in a concrete fence at the end of the runway designed to guide aircraft during landings — should have been constructed with lighter materials that would break more easily upon impact. California Hollywood Inc. Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. 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Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. and said funeral procedures have begun after all the victims were formally identified."The most urgent matter at present is to return the victims to their families," Choi told an intra-agency meeting.Airport authorities set up an altar late on Tuesday and on Wednesday buses carried relatives of victims to the crash site so that they could pay their respects just metres from the crashed plane's charred and broken tail - the only relatively intact part of the aircraft following the accident.The Muan airport was brimming with mourners seeking to pay their tributes at the altar leading to a queue of several hundred metres.Park Han-shin who has been liasing with airport and government authorities on behalf of the bereaved families said on Wednesday that almost 700 family members visited the crash site where they laid chrysanthemums and bowls of rice cake soup.Park also added there was a list of 43 bodies ready to be released asking relatives of those not on the list for patience.County officials sent an alert to urge visitors to go instead to a larger memorial set up in a sport complex about 9 km (5 miles) from the crash site.It could still take several days until all bereaved relatives are able to secure the release of the bodies of their loved ones.Reporting by Hyonhee Shin Eduardo Baptista in Muan and Hyunjoo Jin in Sejong; Writing by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Neil Fullick They banned the airline's chief executive and an unidentified official from leaving the country.Investigators also plan a special inspection of the location and materials of the airport landing system at airports elsewhere in South Korea by Jan designed to prop up the navigation system that helps pilots make safe descents was too rigid and too close to the end of the runway.Investigators will analyse data on 107 mobile phones recovered from the crash site for clues to what happened before the crash Additional reporting by Josh Smith; Editing by Sonali Paul and Clarence Fernandez Police inspect damaged localizers at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla on Dec. 30, 2024. [YONHAP] A screengrab of the localizers at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla captured by Google Street View in September 2018. [SCREEN CAPTURE] Localizers at Muan International Airport are seen damaged from the Jeju Air crash on Dec. 30, 2024. [YONHAP] To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts. following a series of incidents where recorders stopped working.However the change came eight months after the 737-800 involved in the Jeju crash appears to have left the Boeing factory according to data from FlightRadar24.South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board has shared its report with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) which are the home states for the plane and engine manufacturers an official said on Monday.Under global aviation guidelines investigators issue preliminary reports after 30 days and a final report is expected within a year.Reporting by Jack Kim and Lisa Barrington; Editing by Sonali Paul Lisa reports from Seoul on aviation in Asia, including airlines, airspace, aerospace firms, COMAC, travel trends and sustainability. She was previously based in Dubai and Beirut, where she covered politics and general news in the GCC, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. said their co-workers."As a colleague a kind colleague to others," Lee said with a sigh "She always told me to stay happy and positive."Lee said he had gone to the airport with other co-workers to provide food or charge phones for their colleagues' bereaving families who were camping out.At the office officials set up an altar where colleagues and neighbours came to pay condolences.Bowing in tears at the altar vividly remembered her last moment of holding hands with another victim."Our names are similar We were like lost siblings that just met now and held each other's hands and laughed and parted ways," she recalled."I talked to her a lot personally and professionally so this just breaks my heart," she saidReporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Josh Smith and Michael Perry Infrastructure and Transport said that the airport control tower issued a warning of a bird strike to the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 aircraft shortly before it crashed at the Muan International Airport ‘While attempting to land on runway No the control tower issued a bird strike warning and the pilot declared mayday shortly after,’ the ministry noted and explained the plane was given clearance to land in the opposite direction on the runway after which the pilot attempted the landing without the landing gear deployed and skidded off the runway a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 aircraft registered as HL8088, overshot the runway while attempting to land at Muan International Airport in South Korea The aircraft collided with the runway 'localizer' (landing guidance safety facility) and the outer wall during landing and exploded tragically killing 179 of the 181 occupants that included six crew members Two crew members were miraculously survived and rescuded The accident is being regarded as the worst aviation disaster in South Korea's history and only two crew members were confirmed to have survived Both survivors are conscious and are not in danger of dying This accident is the deadliest accident in Korean aviation history and raises many questions about safety standards The tragedy occurred on a flight from Bangkok Thailand to Muan in southwestern South Korea Initial investigations indicate that the landing gear or the operation of it may have been damaged by a bird strike just before landing the aircraft's black box has been recovered and is currently being analyzed to determine the exact cause of the accident The rescue operation involved 1,570 personnel The aircraft fire was extinguished within an hour but most of the passengers were killed in the crash and explosion Muan International Airport and the Impact of the Accident Muan International Airport serves as a major hub for domestic and international flights in South Korea Passengers on ill-fated Jeju Air flight 7C2216 from Bangkok (BKK) had already been stuck at the airport for 3 nights due to the Christmas flight disruption to Muan (MWX) Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance "In order to prevent the recurrence of aircraft accidents and Tourism has instructed the Ministry of Land and Tourism to conduct safety inspections related to aircraft operators." All flights at the airport were canceled due to this accident which had a major impact on domestic and international air traffic and commercial routes Risk factors such as bird strikes are a major concern for airports in this region bird strikes have been a cause of many aviation accidents experts suggest that the landing gear may have been damaged by the bird strike Such collisions pose a significant operational risk especially at airports in areas with a high concentration of migratory birds Safety record of Jeju Air and the Boeing 737-800 Founded in 2005 Jeju Air is known as one of the largest low-cost carriers in South Korea A passenger of the Ill-fated Jeju Air flight 7C2216 sent a message to the family just before the crash a bird got stuck in the engine” Their last message read “Should I be prepared?” before all contact was lost there had been no fatal accidents at this airport but a runway excursion accident occurred at Gimhae Airport in Busan in the year 2007 This tragedy has dealt a huge setback to Jeju Air which has maintained a stable record so far The Boeing 737-800 is widely used worldwide and boasts a high level of safety thorough maintenance and regular inspections are essential The age of the aircraft and the possibility of bird strikes will be the main focus of the investigation into this accident Authorities’ response and emergency measures Immediately after the accident Acting President Choi Sung-mok of the Republic of Korea declared a seven-day national mourning period He ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of this accident and comprehensive measures to prevent future disasters Muan was designated a special disaster zone allowing additional resources to be mobilized to support the families of the victims and for rescue operations The emergency rescue team succeeded in rescuing two survivors, a male flight attendant in her 30s and a female flight attendant in her 20s, despite difficult circumstances The survivors are conscious and receiving medical treatment Comparison with other aviation disasters in Korea This accident has been recorded as the worst aviation accident in the history of the Republic of Korea surpassing the 2002 crash of an Air China Boeing 767 near Gimhae Airport in Busan that caused 129 deaths It is also the worst accident involving a regional airline since the 1997 Korean Air crash in Guam While the South Korean aviation industry is well known for its high safety standards this tragedy is a reminder of the complexity and inherent risks of air travel.  Analysis of the aircraft’s black box is essential to determine the exact cause of the accident mechanical or environmental factors contributed Talking about the implications to the industry Psychological and financial impacts on the aviation industry Air disasters have a profound impact not only on the families of the victims but also on the safety perceptions of the airlines involved and the public Jeju Air has expressed its condolences and pledged to fully cooperate with the investigation but will face an intensive review of its maintenance and training protocols Pending investigations and necessary repair work the suspension of operations at Muan International Airport will also have a significant financial impact on commercial flights and cargo logistics for the region the Muan disaster has had a profound impact on Korean society sparking national mourning and global solidarity The victims’ families are going through a long mourning process while the government and airport authorities are working to restore confidence in aviation safety and Infrastructure has set up the Central Accident Response Headquarters on the 6th floor of the Sejong Government Complex and Jeollanam-do is also operating the Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters FL360aero | All right Reserved 2025 This website uses cookies. 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Read our cookie policy here Jeju Air Flight 7C 2216 (a Boeing 737-800) operating from Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi International Airport crashed at Muan International Airport in South Korea after making a high speed The aircraft skidded past the end of the runway and collided with a concrete platform before disintegrating and bursting into flames with only the tail section remaining intact only two flight attendants seated in the tail section survived the crash The apparent malfunction of the Boeing’s landing gear was a key factor in the crash The reason for that malfunction is critical and while initial reports have blamed a bird strike a full investigation needs to be conducted to ascertain the consequences of any strike the exact cause of the landing gear malfunction and whether that was in fact related to any purported bird strike Alongside concerns over the malfunction of the landing gear questions will be raised concerning the operational decisions that saw the pilots attempting a high speed gear-up landing with touchdown occurring some distance along the runway it is difficult to see how the pilots would not have foreseen the likely consequences of landing particularly if they were familiar with the positioning of the barrier at the end of the runway is insured by Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance with 99% of the risk reinsured into Lloyds of London and led by AXA XL The insurance policy covers passenger liability of up to $1bn Under standard reinsurance claim control clauses the London reinsurer will decide claims and will likely appoint London-based defence lawyers to manage the legal process Sarah Stewart, Partner in the Aviation team at Stewarts Aviation claims are complex and complicated and specialist legal advice is essential to be able to navigate the likely pitfalls Stewarts is building an international team of the leading aviation lawyers in the US and South Korea to join with our leading practice in the UK to ensure the best legal advice and assistance is given to the families affected If you have been injured while a passenger on a plane, please contact our team at aviation@stewartslaw.com. You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed Blog  >  Flight tracking news  >  Major incident  >  Jeju Air 737 crashes after attempted gear up landing in Muan On 29 December a Jeju Air 737-800 flight 7C2216 attempted a gear up landing in Muan The aircraft slid off the end of the runway and impacted an embankment and ILS localizer array Officials report that 179 of 181 people on board were killed in the crash It appears that ADS-B data was either no longer sent by the aircraft or the aircraft was outside our coverage area after 23:58:50 UTC Based on coverage of previous flights and of other aircraft on the ground at Muan before and after the accident flight we believe the former explanation is more likely There are multiple possible explanations for why an aircraft would stop sending ADS-B messages including loss of electrical power to the transponder BREAKING: Video shows crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216 in South Korea. 181 people on board pic.twitter.com/9rQUC0Yxt8 The video above shows the aircraft sliding down the runway on its engines without the landing gear deployed The aircraft continues off the runway at a high rate of speed before impacting the lighting array and embankment Jeju Air flight 2216 was operated by a Boeing 737-800 registered HL8088 The 737 is powered by two CFM56-7B engines The aircraft was acquired by Jeju Air in 2017 It had previously flown for Ryanair from 2009-2016 South Korean investigators have recovered both the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder from the aircraft reports that the flight data recorder was recovered in a damaged condition The South Korean Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board released a preliminary accident investigation report on 27 January providing the first official information about the investigation South Korean investigators say the next phase of the investigation “will tear down the engines so join more than 1.7 million others who receive weekly aviation industry and flight tracking news from Flightradar24 direct to their inbox We’re always looking for additional receiver hosts in areas that either lack coverage or need additional coverage Help us grow the Flightradar24 ADS-B network See all subscription plans Explore the top 10 most tracked aircraft and find out why these particular aircraft draw so much interest We are continually looking to improve our flight tracking and the airports below are where new receivers will add the most coverage Apply for a receiver today and if accepted you’ll receiver a free Flightradar24 Business Subscription