Source: aajtak
On a tragic Sunday, a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 skidded off the runway and crashed into a fence, igniting into flames and claiming 179 lives in South Korea. (All images - AP)
Source: aajtak
The flight, carrying 181 individuals, met a catastrophic fate. According to the Yonhap News Agency, two survivors were found by the firefighters, while others were not as fortunate.
Source: aajtak
The disaster occurred at 9:07 am local time, as Jeju Air Flight 2216 attempted to land at Muan International Airport in the country's southwest.
In an attempt to belly land after failing its initial landing, the aircraft could not reduce its speed in time, leading to a fatal collision with the boundary at the runway's end.
Source: aajtak
A fire erupted post-impact, and nearly all passengers lost their lives. Reports indicate a malfunction in the landing gear played a leading role in this tragedy.
Source: aajtak
Video footage shows the plane scraping the runway, colliding with the boundary, bursting into flames, and disintegrating into pieces.
Source: aajtak
Potential causes cited include a defective landing gear and interference by flocks of birds preventing safe landing. The failed belly landing exacerbated the situation.
Source: aajtak
The landing gear system encompasses essential parts like tires that ensure smooth landings but can malfunction due to bird strikes, as was the case in this accident.
Source: aajtak
Bird strikes can impair the landing gear system by hindering the deployment of the tires, leading to critical landing failures, exactly what transpired in this Korean tragedy.
