The pilot attempted to belly-land the plane on the runway. However, due to its high speed, it skidded off the runway and hit the airport embankment, where it caught fire.
A Jeju Airlines Boeing 737-800 crashed while landing in Muan, South Korea. According to administrative sources, 179 of the 181 passengers on board the plane died.
It is initially reported that the pilot attempted a normal landing. But the landing gear (wheels) of the plane got stuck. Realizing the problem, the pilot tried to make the plane ‘belly land’ on the runway. However, due to the high speed, it skidded off the runway and hit the airport fence, catching fire. 179 people died from burns.
Like the plane crash in Kazakhstan, the theory of a bird strike is initially gaining strength in the South Korean incident. Several sources have claimed that the plane’s landing gear was damaged due to a collision with a bird. As a result, the wheels did not open. Finally, the pilot tried to make a ‘belly landing’.
Several questions have arisen surrounding this accident. Several former pilots in that country have said that the airport’s runway is three kilometers long. When the plane attempted a ‘belly landing’, its speed was much higher. According to them, if a mechanical fault is detected in the aircraft during landing, the aircraft usually circles the airport. The pilot has to decide how to land within that time. But nothing much was done in this case. However, it is believed that the pilot decided to do a ‘belly landing’ at the very last moment. The question arises, when the pilot had already decided to do a ‘belly landing’, why did the airport authorities not make arrangements for firefighting on the runway even after receiving the emergency landing message? Several such questions are being raised.
Incidentally, the theory of bird strike was also first raised in the Azerbaijan plane crash in Kazakhstan. But gradually that theory turned towards a Russian missile attack. As a result, questions have been raised about the Jeju Airlines plane crash. Although the issue of bird strike was initially raised, discussions have already started on which direction it will turn later. Although the South Korean administration has said that the accident was due to a defect in the landing gear, whether there was any negligence somewhere, it is also being investigated.
Jeju Airlines is South Korea’s low-cost airline. The airline has expressed its condolences for this accident. They have expressed their condolences to the families of the deceased passengers. They have also assured to provide all possible assistance. On the other hand, Boeing has also issued a statement expressing its condolences. The company said that they are in touch with Jeju Airlines. They have assured all possible assistance from their side.
On December 25, an Azerbaijan Airlines flight was en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Chechnya, Russia. However, it was diverted due to fog. Shortly after takeoff, the plane attempted an emergency landing at Aktobe Airport. But it crashed before it could land. Thirty-eight people died in the incident.
