Muan, South Korea: A calamity of the flight Jeju in Muan International Airport arose a plane crash that killed 179 passengers on board out of 181 individuals that were present. The plane lost control and slid right off the runway, crashed into a concrete barrier, and exploded into flames during the emergency landing.
The aircraft, which was flying back from Bangkok, had issued a bird strike warning just seconds before the accident. Eyewitness reports state that the plane did not lower its landing gear correctly, which added to the disastrous result. The two survivors are currently under medical treatment and are in the state of the shock because of the calamity.
The plane had 175 passengers and six crew members on board when it attempted the landing at about 9:03 AM local time. The South Korean Ministry of Transport stated that air traffic control had earlier warned the pilots about a bird strike before landing. The pilots declared an emergency at 8:58 AM but couldn’t prevent the catastrophe.
Rescue work started immediately, with the involvement of over 32 fire trucks and several helicopters being sent to put out the fire and help survivors. For the time being, the recovery process is underway, with the authorities engaged in identifying the affected individuals.
Bird strikes take place whenever an aircraft makes contact with birds while taking off or landing. Although these incidents tend to generally not cause significant damage, collisions with engines or other parts could lead to very serious issues, such as a loss of control, or engine failure. As per the statistics provided by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), 92% of bird strikes incident do not bring any damage; nonetheless, this incident showed the dangers involved brightly.
Historically, bird strikes have been an issue in aviation, with annual reports showing over 40,000 cases across the globe. The first such incident was recorded in 1905 when Orville Wright, during a test flight, told of a collision with some birds.
This accident is one of the deadliest in the history of South Korean aviation, just like the previous comparable ones, which took many lives. While the families of the victims go through their grief, issues appear about the safety measures and the means of preventing bird strikes in airports.
The South Korean government has conveyed its heartfelt condolences and has assured to carry out a thorough investigation of the reasons rendering this incident. The occurrence is still very much a compelling evidence of the risks that are inherent in air travel and of the need for constant improvement in security measures.
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