Seoul, South Korea:
A Jeju Air plane flying from Bangkok to South Korea with 181 people on board crashed on landing Sunday, killing 179 with just two people plucked alive from the wreckage.
Here’s what we know so far.
What happened?
A Boeing 737-800 aircraft belonging to low-cost carrier Jeju Air, flying from Bangkok to Muan airport, was warned of a bird strike by the control tower, officials said, during its first attempt at landing shortly after 9:00 am (0000 GMT).
Minutes later, with the pilot issuing a “mayday” warning, it tried to land again, with video showing it attempting a “belly landing” without its landing gear activated.
Dramatic video shows the plane skidding along the runway with smoke trailing out, until it hits a wall at the end and bursts into flames.
Passengers, crew on board
All 175 passengers and four of the six crew members onboard were killed. Rescue workers plucked two survivors — both flight attendants — from the wreckage.
What caused the accident?
Investigations have been launched, but officials suspect the accident could have been caused by bird strike and adverse weather conditions.
When asked if the accident happened due to the runway being too short, one official said this was likely not a factor.
“The runway is 2,800 metres long, and similar-sized aircraft have been operating on it without issues,” they said.
