The cause of the Jeju Air flight 7C2216 from Bangkok, Thailand, which had an accident at Muan Airport in Jeollanam-do on the morning of the 29th, has not yet been determined, but it is confirmed that the aircraft experienced a bird strike.
According to airport authorities, the accident occurred while the aircraft was attempting a belly landing due to landing gear failure around 9:03 a.m. The aircraft, approaching runway 1 at Muan Airport, attempted to land initially but was unable to land properly, leading to a go-around and a subsequent landing attempt, during which the accident occurred. The landing gear failed to deploy properly, prompting a belly landing attempt, but the aircraft veered off the runway and crashed into the airport's outer wall, resulting in an explosion.
Lee Jeong-hyun, head of the Muan Fire Department, noted in a briefing that afternoon that the cause of the accident is presumed to be weather deterioration, such as a bird strike. According to News1, a passenger identified as A, also sent a Kakao message to family waiting at Muan Airport, saying 'a bird is stuck in the wing, preventing landing.'
Video footage just before the accident shows the aircraft approaching the airport at around 8:20 a.m., preparing to land when it collided with a flock of birds at an altitude of 200 meters, causing flames to erupt from the right engine. Abandoning the first landing attempt, the aircraft ascended to circle over the airport and communicated with the control tower to make a second landing attempt.
A bird strike causing a belly landing has also occurred with fighter jets. According to the Air Force, on Jan. 4, 2022, an Air Force F-35A stealth fighter, which took off from Cheongju base for an air-to-ground shooting mission, was flying at an altitude of about 330 meters to enter the range when an eagle was sucked into the left air intake. The eagle pierced through the F-35A's airframe and into the weapons bay. Consequently, none of the three landing gears functioned, and most systems, except for the controls and engine, malfunctioned.
The pilot declared an 'emergency landing' and successfully attempted a belly landing on the Seosan base runway after consuming all fuel. However, a precise investigation by the Air Force revealed damage in over 300 areas, including the airframe, structure, engine, and control/navigation systems. Although purchasing a new F-35A costs about 110 billion won, repair expenses are estimated at about 140 billion won, leading the Air Force to decide to 'retire' it instead of repairing.
On Jan. 10 this year, a T’way Air flight TW216 (B737-800) departed from Tokyo Narita Airport and was approaching Incheon Airport at 9:28 p.m. when a bird was sucked into the engine, causing sparks. The aircraft was carrying 122 passengers.
For safety, the aircraft made a go-around and landed safely on the runway at 9:41 p.m. At the time, T’way Air stated, 'Despite sparks being visible from the engine at the moment of collision, no fire occurred.' No injuries were reported from the incident.
On the same month's 24th at around 11:50 p.m., ZE781, which was scheduled to depart from Cheongju Airport for Taoyuan Airport in Taiwan, collided with a bird shortly after takeoff and returned to the airport. There were 146 passengers on board, but no injuries were reported. The flight eventually departed again at 8:10 a.m. on the 25th, eight hours later.