South Korea: Jeju Air plane crash leaves 179 people dead

US President Joe Biden extended his condolences to those impacted by the Jeju Air plane crash in Muan, South Korea.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by this tragedy," Biden said, according to a statement released by the White House.

Biden said that he and his wife, Jill, were "deeply saddened" by the crash.

He said that the US was ready "to provide any necessary assistance."

Previously, the United States National Transportation Safety Board said they would send their investigators to South Korea to help with the probe.

Despite authorities pointing to a potential bird strike and poor weather, many questions remain unanswered as to the cause of the Jeju Air crash.

The Boeing 737-800 was seen in video footage skidding down the runway with no landing gear deployed before hitting a perimeter fence and exploding in flames and debris.

Christian Beckert, a flight safety expert and Lufthansa pilot, said the video footage suggested that most of the plane's braking systems were not activated, which created a "big problem" for the pilot.

Beckert noted that planes can use an alternate system to lower the landing gear if the primary system fails.

Australian aviation consultant Trevor Jensen said fire and emergency services would normally be ready for a belly landing, "so this appears to be unplanned."

Only two people — both crew members — out of the 181 people on board the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 survived the crash.

One of them is being treated in an intensive care unit (ICU) for fractures to his ribs, shoulder blade and upper spine.

Ju Woong, director of the Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital, said the man told doctors he "woke up to find (himself) rescued."

The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the body responsible for examining US aviation accidents, said it would help South Korea with its probe into the Jeju Air crash.

In a statement on X, the agency said: "The NTSB is leading a team of US investigators ... to assist the Republic of Korea’s Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) with their investigation."

The NTSB said planemaker Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would also take part.

It said that any further details about the probe would be released by the ARAIB.

South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok, who only took office Friday, announced a seven-day period of national mourning following the Jeju Air crash in Muan.

Yonhap news agency reported that the announcement had come during an emergency meeting held hours after the fatal incident.

"We extend our deepest condolences and sympathy to the bereaved families of those who lost their lives in this unexpected tragedy," Choi was quoted as saying.

The mourning period will last until midnight next Saturday.

Memorial altars will be set up at the crash site and across the country.

Yonhap also reported that Muan has been designated as a special disaster zone, making it eligible for state support.

Authorities in South Korea are investigating what caused the crash of the Jeju Air jet that killed nearly all of the 181 passengers on board. Many of them were returning from Christmas holidays. Journalist Jen Moon reports from the site of the crash. 

Aviation journalist Andreas Spaeth told DW there appeared to have been a bird strike before the Jeju Air plane crash in South Korea.

In some of the videos circulating on social media "we can actually see, before the initial landing attempt, there was a bird strike," Spaeth said. He added that the airport had also issued a bird strike warning.

The aviation journalist said that according to flight data, the aircraft did "a so-called teardrop movement" which Spaeth said indicated the pilots were attempting a "desperate maneuver" due to there being "no more or limited engine power available."

This indicates "some damage in the engines from the previous bird strike," the reporter said.

Spaeth also noted that the landing gear had been extended on the first landing attempt. However, this was not the case during the second attempt.

He also pointed that the plane did not have much space for an emergency landing outside the runway, saying that the small size of the so-called "overrun area" was "very worrying."

"And normally safe airports should be constructed like that, that there's ample overrun area. If an aircraft inadvertently leaves the runway, there should be ample space for it to come to a halt even outside the runway," he said.

South Korean authorities said 179 people were killed in the Jeju Air plane crash at Muan International Airport. 

Only two of the 181 people on the aircraft at the time of the crash survived, with both being crew members.
 

South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok has declared a seven-day national mourning period until January 4 due to the plane crash at Muan International Airport.

This comes after an emergency meeting due to the crash.

At least 177 people were killed in the deadliest air accident to take place on South Korean soil.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed condolences after the South Korea plane crash claimed the lives of at least 167 people.

"We received the terrible news about the crash," Scholz posted on social media network X. 

"Our condolences go out to the families of those killed and we wish those injured a quick recovery."

The death toll as a result of the Jeju Air plane crash in South Korea has risen to 167, the country’s national fire agency said. 

Out of the plane’s 181 passengers, only two crew members have been rescued alive so far, with fire brigades saying that the people on board stood "little chance of survival."
 

The authorities in South Korea are investigating whether a bird strike and adverse weather conditions were the cause of the Jeju Air plane crash which resulted in at least 120 of the aircraft’s passengers being killed at Muan International Airport. 

The crash left the Boeing 737-800 aircraft “almost completely destroyed,” fire officials said, with only two crew members out of the 181 people on the plane at the time of the crash being rescued alive so far.
 

Established in 2005, Jeju Air is South Korea’s largest low-cost airline. 

Its hub is in the city of Jeju, which has the second largest international airport in the country after Seoul-Incheon. Jeju City is located on Jeju Island, an extremely popular destination for South Korean vacationers. 

The airline has a 40-plane strong fleet, with all of its aircraft being Boeing 737s, a model largely used by low-cost airlines around the world.

The Muan airport crash was the first fatal accident in Jeju Air’s history. 
 

The death toll as a result of the Jeju Air plane crash in South Korea has risen to 120, South Korean fire officials said 

The accident is one of the deadliest disasters in the country's aviation history.

Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed deep condolences to the families of those affected by the Jeju Air plane crash through a post on social platform X.

Paetongtarn said she had ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide assistance immediately, as well as to investigate whether there were any Thai nationals on the plane. The plane had begun its journey in the Thai capital, Bangkok.