The passenger plane that crashed at Muan International Airport is suspected to have had an accident while attempting a belly landing. The cause of the landing gear failure is currently presumed to be due to a 'bird strike,' with a total of 623 bird strikes occurring at domestic airports between 2019 and 2024.
According to data received by Jeon Yong-gi, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea and the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, from Incheon International Airport Corporation and Korea Airports Corporation, there were a total of 623 bird strikes at domestic airports over the past five and a half years (2019 to the first half of 2024).
Annually, there were △108 cases in 2019 △76 cases in 2020 △109 cases in 2021 △131 cases in 2022 △152 cases in 2023, showing an increasing trend every year. In the first half of 2024, 47 cases have already been reported.
The situation is similar for foreign airlines. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) reported a total of 97,751 bird strikes in 196 countries worldwide from 2008 to 2015.
The aviation industry sees urbanization and climate change as reasons for the increase in bird strikes. Landfills and wetlands near airports function as bird habitats. Climate change is also worsening the situation. The change in migratory bird patterns due to warming is the problem.
According to Korea Airports Corporation and Jeonnam Fire Headquarters, around 9:03 a.m. that day, Jeju Air flight 7C2216 from Bangkok, Thailand, veered off the runway and hit an outer wall while attempting to land at Muan International Airport. Jeonnam Fire Headquarters held an on-site briefing at Muan Airport's terminal for the families of the passengers, stating, “Of the 181 total passengers, it is presumed that most of them have died, except for the two who were rescued.”