Around 180 passengers were on board when Jeju Air turned into a fireball and crashed at the international airport in Muan, South Korea on Sunday. Jeju Air flight 2216, from Bangkok to Muan, was carrying 181 people – 175 passengers and six crew – when it came down. The aircraft skidded along the runway and hit the fencing and wall around the perimeter before turning into a ball of fire.
In the footage, the Boeing 737-800 skid along the runway at Muan International Airport on Sunday morning before it struck what appeared to be a concrete barrier at high speed and burst into flames as parts of the fuselage flew into the air.
According to The Guardian, a local fire official suggested that the crash was likely caused by a combination of a ‘bird strike’ – a collision between a bird and the aircraft – and adverse weather conditions. The report said that the bird strike may have damaged the landing gear, leading to its failure. The flight reportedly attempted one landing but had to execute a "go-around" when the landing gear failed to deploy properly.
The accident occurred at around 9 am local time, shortly after the plane, Jeju Air flight 7C2216, landed at the airport about 300km southwest of Seoul, at the end of a flight from Bangkok.
From the crash site, thick plumes of smoke could be seen rising into the sky. The fire had engulfed parts of the aircraft.
A low-cost carrier, Jeju Air, switched its website to a minimalist, black background layout in response to the crash. In a statement, it said: “Jeju Air deeply bows in apology to all those affected by the Muan airport accident. Our first priority is to do everything possible to manage this incident. We sincerely apologise for causing concern.”