Tragedy struck South Korea as a Jeju Air flight veered off the runway and collided with a concrete fence at Muan International Airport, resulting in the deaths of at least 96 passengers. According to the Yonhap News Agency, the catastrophic crash was caused by a malfunction in the landing gear.
The Jeju Air flight, operating with a Boeing 737-800, carried 175 passengers and six crew members when the incident occurred early Sunday morning local time. The plane landed at 9:07 a.m. at the airport in Muan County, South Jeolla Province, approximately 180 miles south of Seoul.
The Associated Press reported that the airplane’s front landing gear failed to deploy during the landing process, causing the passenger plane to slam into a concrete fence on the runway. Emergency responders from the National Fire Agency have been working tirelessly to rescue survivors from the wreckage.
Jeju Air, a popular low-cost airline in South Korea, was operating flight 2216 at the time of the accident. The Boeing 737-800 aircraft is widely used in the aviation industry but has faced scrutiny in light of recent crashes.
The crash has sent shockwaves across South Korea, with Muan International Airport temporarily suspending operations to facilitate rescue efforts and an investigation into the incident. Authorities have not ruled out further technical inspections to determine whether additional factors, such as a bird strike or mechanical failure, contributed to the tragedy.
This devastating crash is a stark reminder of the risks associated with air travel. The aviation community is now calling for heightened safety measures, particularly for Boeing aircraft such as the 737-800, to prevent similar disasters.