The survivor of the Jeju Air passenger plane accident that occurred at Muan International Airport on the 29th is reported to have mentioned the explosion of the plane engine following a ‘bird strike’ (bird collision).
According to Jeonnam Fire Department on this day, one of the crew members of Jeju Air flight 7C2216, rescued from the scene, told rescuers, “Smoke came out from one side of the engine and then it exploded. (The cause of the accident) is presumed to be a bird collision.”
This crew member was transported to a hospital in the Mokpo area and is receiving treatment, with no danger to life.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport also revealed in an initial briefing on the accident handling that a ‘bird strike’ was one of the main causes of this calamity. The ministry said, “The control tower warned of a ‘bird strike’ just before the Jeju Air accident plane landed,” and added, “About a minute after the bird collision warning, the pilot issued the distress signal ‘Mayday,’ and the accident occurred approximately 5 minutes later.” Furthermore, “Currently, the flight data recorder has been collected by the accident investigation committee,” and added, “The voice recorder will be additionally secured depending on the site situation.”
At around 9:03 a.m. that day, Jeju Air flight 7C2216, departing from Bangkok, Thailand, veered off the runway and collided with the outer wall while landing at Muan Airport. This accident resulted in an explosion and subsequent fire. The aircraft was so extensively burned that only the tail section remained recognizable, and currently, only 2 crew members out of 181 total passengers have been rescued.
As of 3:18 p.m., the fire authorities have recovered 124 deceased and are verifying additional casualties on site.