South Korea —
On December 29th, 2024, foreign media reported a tragic runway overrun involving Jeju Air flight 7C2216 at Muan Airport, South Korea, which left 179 dead and two crew members as the sole survivors.
The Boeing 737-800, which departed from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, carried 181 people, including 175 passengers and six crew members.
South Korea declared a seven-day national mourning period, with flags at half-mast and officials wearing black ribbons to honor the victims. Global leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, offered condolences. Minister Maris posted on X, saying:
“Very saddened to hear about the tragic accidents and casualties on the Jeju Air flight. I have instructed our Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul to urgently assist our Thai nationals aboard that flight and provide me with regular updates.”
Initial investigations suggest a bird strike may have caused landing gear failure, leading the plane to slide on the runway and crash into a wall, sparking a massive fire. Experts, however, question the bird strike theory, noting anomalies in the landing approach and emergency preparedness, according to the foreign media.
The South Korean Ministry of Transport recovered the flight data and cockpit voice recorders for further analysis. Aviation experts, including Jeffrey Thomas and Geoffrey Dell, argue bird strikes rarely disable landing gear, typically affecting engines instead, leaving time for corrective action.
Concerns have also been raised about emergency response protocols and runway safety standards, noted foreign media.
Sadly, two Thai nationals were confirmed to have lost their lives on the flight as well. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra offered her condolences and thoughts as well.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
