As uncertainties remain behind the crash of Jeju Air Flight 7C2216, which killed nearly 181 people onboard, initial reports firmly suggest that a bird strike might have led to the crash.
Though South Korean officials are investigating the cause of the crash, experts raised questions including, "Why didn't fire tenders lay foam on the runway? 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?"
Tragic plane crash in South Korea: 179 dead, 2 survivors out of 181 onboard.
— Devil Wicked (@YoWickedd) December 29, 2024
The crash occurred when the plane’s landing gear failed to deploy, leaving it without brakes to slow down. As a result, it collided with a wall at near full speed. pic.twitter.com/CWKjHZdeg7
According to the South Korea's transport ministry, the flight data recorder was found at 11:30 am (02:30 GMT), about two and a half hours after the crash, and the cockpit voice recorder was found at 2:24 pm.
Experts believe that the voice recorder and the flight data recorder will unravel the mystery behind the crash.
"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 aeroplane by themselves," said Airline News editor Geoffrey Thomas.
A bird strike occurs when birds collide with an aircraft in flight. Such strikes can cause significant damage, especially if birds are sucked into jet engines.
Reportedly, the landing gear malfunction led to the crash at Muan International Airport on Sunday.
When questions on the adequacy of the runway was raised, it was quickly dismissed by the officials saying, the runway is 2,800 meters long, and similar-sized aircraft have been operating on it without any troubles.
Meanwhile, the South Korean government declared national mourning on January 4.
The Indian embassy in South Korea expressed condolences for the people who lost their lives in the Jeju Airlines plane crash. "Deeply saddened to learn of the tragic plane crash at Muan airport today. We extend our heartfelt condolences to bereaved family members. The Indian Embassy stands in solidarity with the people & government of RoK in this difficult hour," he said.
German chancellor Olaf Scholz, UK foreign secretary David Lammy Pope Francis were among those who paid condolences to the people of South Korea.
