Jeju Air B737-800 carrying 181 people onboard crashes in South Korea

A Jeju Air B737-800 crashed during an emergency landing at Muan International Airport (MWX) in South Korea. 

The accident occurred at around 09:08 local time on December 29, 2024. The B737-800, with registration HL8088, was operating as flight JJA 2216, a scheduled five-hour flight from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). 

The flight was carrying 181 passengers, mostly families returning from a five-day Christmas holiday tour package in Thailand. At the time of writing, fire service authorities said that most of the 181 are presumed dead, with only two survivors found.

Video footage taken just before the fatal crash appears to show that the aircraft encountered a bird strike prior to landing.

Bird strike on Jeju Air flight 2216 caught on cam before crash.#Jeju #JejuAirline #PlaneCrash pic.twitter.com/RoWzXKaDdx— Vani Mehrotra (@vani_mehrotra) December 29, 2024 According to flight tracker site Flightradar24, the last ADS-B message it received from the flight was when the aircraft was at 500 feet on approach. Flightradar24 said it believes that the final ADS-B messages received represent preparation for a possible flypast of the airport. 

“A flypast is often performed to visually confirm that the landing gear is either down or not prior to making a decision on next steps,” the flight tracking site said in its report.

Landed without flying gear

At approximately 09:08 local time, the B737-800 managed to land at Muan Airport’s runway with its flying gear up.

Video footage taken shows the plane landing, and eventually reaching the end of the runway, where it crashed into a concrete fence wall and exploded into flames.

BREAKING: Crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216 in South Korea caught on video pic.twitter.com/r49Wz6OMfh— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) December 29, 2024 Immediate responders concentrated on extinguishing aircraft fire, while others managed to pull two survivors from the tail of the plane–a passenger and a cabin crew. 

Search and rescue operations continue in the wreckage, as most of the bodies remain in the fuselage.

Statement from Boeing

Almost immediately after the crash, Boeing issued a statement, saying it is in contact with Jeju Air, and stands ready for support.

The aircraft manufacturer also extended its condolences to those who lost loved ones in the tragic accident.

The B737-800 involved in the crash was 15 years old, and entered service with Jeju Air in 2017. According to data from Planespotters.net, the aircraft was first delivered in 2009 to Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair.

pic.twitter.com/TIrIUBw4RB— The Boeing Company (@Boeing) December 29, 2024 Confirmed deaths

As of 16:00 GMT+8, authorities confirmed 124 deaths. Local news outlet Korea JoongAng Daily said that officials expressed difficulties in identifying the remains. 

In a media briefing for South Korean media outlets, the Busan Regional Office of Aviation said that only five of the bodies have been identified so far. 

Flight JJA 2216 carried181 people — 175 passengers and six crew members. Among those killed, 54 are male and 57 are female, while the gender of 11 still remains unspecified. 

Rescues and investigations are ongoing.

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