Experts have raised doubts that a bird strike alone could have caused the fatal plane crash that happened in South Korea on Sunday.
Newsweek reached out to the South Korean embassy in Washington, D.C., via email for comment Sunday afternoon.
Why It Matters
At least 179 people were killed in a blaze of flames when a Boeing plane crashed Sunday while attempting to land at Muan International Airport in South Korea.
The incident is one of the country's worst aviation disasters at a time when South Korea is embroiled in a huge political crisis following President Yoon Suk Yeol's imposition, then retraction, of martial law and subsequent impeachment.
Meanwhile, Boeing has been under pressure this year after its planes were involved in a series of quality control incidents that have made headlines around the world—most notably the mid-air blowout of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines flight in January.
What To Know
A 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet was carrying 181 people, including six crew members, when it crashed at 9:03 a.m. local time after returning from Bangkok.
The control tower at Muan International Airport had issued a bird-strike warning while the Jeju Air plane was trying to land shortly before 9 a.m. local time, the Yonhap News Agency reported, citing officials from the South Korea's transport ministry.
The pilot sent out a distress signal a minute after receiving the warning and was given permission to land in the "opposite direction of the runway from the control tower," officials said.
The plane went past the runway and crashed into an outer wall after the jet's landing gear apparently failed to deploy, according to officials.
In a video broadcast on local media and since circulated on social media, the plane can be seen skidding down the runway with no apparent landing gear deployed before crashing into a wall and exploding in flames.
Two crew members were pulled to safety by emergency workers and are being treated for injuries that are not life-threatening, according to South Korea's National Fire Agency.
What People Are Saying
Airline News editor Geoffrey Thomas raised several questions about the crash.
"Why didn't fire tenders lay foam on the runway? Why weren't they in attendance when the plane touched down? And why did the aircraft touch down so far down the runway? And why was there a brick wall at the end of the runway?" he asked Reuters.
Speaking on the possibility of a bird strike, Thomas said, "A bird strike is not unusual, problems with an undercarriage are not unusual. Bird strikes happen far more often, but typically they don't cause the loss of an airplane by themselves."
Australian airline safety expert Geoffrey Dell told Reuters, "I've never seen a bird strike prevent the landing gear from being extended."
Dell said that although a bird strike could have affected the plane engines if a flock was sucked into them, the engines would not have shut down right away, meaning the pilots would've had some time to manage the situation.
Dell and Australian aviation consultant Trevor Jensen told Reuters the reason the plane did not decelerate after hitting the runway was unclear.
Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae said in a statement to The Korea Times: "We extend our deepest condolences and apologies to the passengers who lost their lives in the accident and to their bereaved families. Currently, the exact cause of the accident has yet to be determined, and we must wait for the official investigation by government agencies. Regardless of the cause, I take full responsibility as the CEO."
Boeing, in a statement to Newsweek: "We are in contact with Jeju Air regarding flight 2216 and stand ready to support them. We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew."
What Happens Next
The South Korean government is investigating the crash to determine what caused it. Officials reportedly have recovered the flight data recorder from the plane's black box and are still searching for the cockpit voice recorders.
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