A fatal crash-landing happened at South Korea’s Muan International Airport on Sunday, with Jeju Air flight 7C 2216, and left 85 dead, most passengers probably dead. According to fire officials, the accident might have been due to a bird strike or failure of landing gear.
The Boeing 737-800 was on its way from Bangkok, Thailand, to Muan, carrying 181 individuals, including six crew. The aircraft crash-landed on its belly on its runway, and skid several meters before bursting into flame. Only two persons and they are crew survived and are currently hospitalized.
It’s difficult to pinpoint the cause yet. A joint investigation will clarify,” said Lee Jeong-hyun, head of the Muan Fire Department. Footage from video cameras in the area indicates that the plane’s landing gear failed to deploy. Experts have been speculating that it may have been caused by an engine failure or sensor malfunction during a possible “go-around” maneuver.
This tragedy happened during a holiday rush travel season, thereby compounding the tragedy. The South Korean country’s record on safety is impeccable according to analysts, but it raises the question about oversight of the aviation industry due to its rapid growth in Asia.
There have been reports from the emergency responders of 39 males and 46 females who have died. The remaining passengers are also feared dead, and rescue operations continue. The National Fire Agency has been working day and night to retrieve bodies and investigate the wreckage.
Jeju Air is one of South Korea’s leaders in low-cost carriers, with good safety. Still, this is a grim reminder of what might have occurred in aviation, no matter how hard the efforts to improve safety are.
As the investigation goes on, aviation regulators and the airlines are expected to review practices to avoid such disasters again. Families of the dead are waiting for answers, and support from the whole nation as they mourn this devastating loss.
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