Did South Korean plane's engine catch fire before it belly-landed? Mystery surrounds eyewitness statement

While a malfunctioning of the landing gear and the pilot's inability to slow down the aircraft during touch-down were cited as primary reasons for the plane crash in South Korea, another theory has emerged with witnesses reporting seeing flames in the jet's engine and hearing multiple explosions before the incident.

Videos showed the plane belly landing following landing gear failure. It veers off the runway before colliding with the airport structure and exploding. 

An eyewitness, Yoo Jae-yong, told South Korean news agency Yonhap that he saw a spark on the plane's right wing before the crash. "I was telling my family there was a problem with the plane when I heard a loud explosion," Yoo, who stays near the airport, told the agency.

Also read: South Korea plane crash: Jeju Air pilot was trying to belly land after landing gear failed but couldn't slow down aircraft

Another witness, identified by Yonhap as Cho, said he was taking a stroll near the airport when he saw the plane flying low. "I saw the plane descending and thought it was about to land when I noticed a flash of light," Cho added. "Then there was a loud bang followed by smoke in the air, and then I heard a series of explosions."

A 70-year-old man who saw the plane do a go-around before finally descending, told Yonhap that he heard the sound of  "metallic scraping" twice about five minutes before the crash. 

Authorities claim the pilots failed to reduce the aircraft's speed as it touched down though the official cause of the accident has not yet been determined. Authorities believe a bird strike may have caused the landing gear malfunction. 

As per the Muan Fire Agency, the death toll from the Jeju Air plane crash touched 122.