Desperate hunt for answers as ‘confused’ experts left baffled by plane crash that killed 179 & cast doubt on bird strike

HEARTBROKEN households are dealing with a desperate hunt for answers over the South Korea plane crash that killed 179 americans – leaving appropriate two survivors.

The devastating plane disaster saw the Boeing 737-800 appear to hit a bird on map to Muan International Airport before it then slammed into the tarmac and exploded in a fireball.

Crash investigators are if truth be told dealing with the agonising task of combing thru the charred wreckage to learn the map the recent crash – the deadliest air disaster of 2024 – will possess took place.

Questions are if truth be told being asked on the opposite give up the initial version of events – that a “bird strike” one procedure or the other crippled the plane’s touchdown gear on map to Muan.

Photographs exhibits the plane gave the impression to be hit by a bird – or object – whereas flying over head and South Korean media experiences one of the few survivors said there was an “explosion” after the affect.

Injure to the engine may perhaps well perhaps affect the plane’s hydraulics which may perhaps well well affect the touchdown gear – however why the plane then descended so hastily and made its fatal skidding touchdown has baffled experts.

Julian Bray, an aviation skilled & basic incident consultant, instructed The Solar the crash was “confusing”.

He said: “We need to put together the process second-by-second, find out which controls were working – which failed and only then can you come to a proper conclusion.”

The skilled added he questioned how grand control the pilot had of the plane – as no subject hitting the ground and not utilizing a touchdown gear at a hasty velocity the pilot managed assist the plane “level”.

Gregory Alegi, an aviation skilled and former teacher at Italy’s air force academy, said: “At this point there are a lot more questions than we have answers.

“Why was the plane going so fast? Why were the flaps not open? Why was the touchdown gear not down?”

Christian Beckert, a flight safety expert and Lufthansa pilot, said the video footage suggested that aside from the reversers, most of the plane’s braking systems were not activated, creating a “vast area” and a fast landing.

Beckert said a bird strike was unlikely to have damaged the landing gear while it was still up, and that if it had happened when it was down, it would have been hard to raise again.

“It’s if truth be told, if truth be told very rare and very weird now to not decrease the gear, because there are just programs the place we are going to have the flexibility to decrease the gear with an alternate system,” he said.

It comes as…

• Only two people have been survived with 179 dead in the horror crash
• A minute-by-minute breakdown of the crash reveals how a possible bird strike started a chain of events that doomed the plane
• Terrifying footage shows the explosion as the Boeing tried a ‘belly landing’ at Muan International Airport
• Investigators have recovered the jet’s black box as they try to piece together the cause of the crash
• A heartbreaking final text message asked: ‘Should I say my last words?’
• Footage emerged of it striking birds moments before landing – and a survivor said they heard an explosion
• Another horror landing also happened in Canada – and a second in Norway on the same night

Families have been seen wailing and weeping at the airport as they face a painful wait for news – with many of those killed on board having to be identified by their fingerprints.

The fireball tore the plane apart and sent seats & passengers luggage scattered across the runway after the pilots attempted a “belly touchdown”.

The world has paid tribute to the heartbroken nation, with King Charles II saying he and his wife are “profoundly saddened” by the disaster.

The world awaits the outcome of the probe – that will be led by South Korea and the US, where the plane was made by Boeing.

The official death toll is 179 – with all 175 passengers killed, four crew killed, and two crew rescued.

The head pilot had been in this role since 2019 and had more than 9,800 hours of flight experience, according to the airline.

The youngest victim was tragically a three-year-old – with most passengers families returning home from a package holiday to Thailand.

A 60-year-old man was grieving at the airport after five in his family, across three generations, were killed.

Footage showed the single-aisle plane strike a bird with its right engine as it came in to land in the southwestern city of Muan.

The pilot then made a mayday call – and had to abort a landing attempt several minutes later.

The undercarriage did not extend when the jet landed on the plane’s second attempt – with the fuselage slamming into the runway.

Footage then caught the doomed flight’s final moments as it skidded off the tarmac, hit an embankment, and exploded in a fireball.

The packed jet – Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 – was carrying 181 people, mainly holidaymakers, from Bangkok, Thailand.

Firefighters said two of the six crew individuals, one man and one girl, survived after being pulled from the tail of the plane.

The 33-year-gentle man suffered more than one fractures and is receiving particular care following the disaster.

He reportedly instructed doctors that he had already been rescued when he work up, Yonhap said.

The death toll progressively climbed on Sunday morning to 179 as bodies were pulled from the smouldering wreckage.

Exiguous print referring to the deceased are if truth be told starting up to emerge – with two Thai nationals on board and the oldest person being 78.

Tragically, five were teenagers former below 10 years gentle with most on the plane being in their 50s and 60s.

Some 82 of the confirmed ineffective are men and 83 females, whereas 11 can’t be identified as their body is simply too badly burned.

Weeping households possess been considered gathering at the airport as South Korea comes to phrases with its worst air disaster in two a long time.

One passenger’s final textual content message has been printed, with the doomed girl announcing: “Correct now, should I content my last words?”

The investigation into what exactly happened has now begun with the black box being recovered from the wreck.

Soldiers and emergency services are now combing the runway and surrounding fields to find clues for what caused the crash.

Horrifying footage showed the jet landing on its belly without wheels.

It skids off the runway as smoke pours out from underneath it, before smashing into a wall and exploding in flames.

Fire crews said the crash was so violent that the jet was “nearly entirely destroyed”.

Muan International Airport is in Muan county, about 179 miles southwest of Seoul.

The accident took place at 9.03am local time – just after midnight UK time – on Sunday.

Low-designate carrier Jeju Air apologised with officers bowing in front of cameras and vowing to design all they would well well to wait on.

The airline said in a press release: “We at Jeju Air will design all the pieces in our vitality in response to this accident.

“We sincerely apologise for causing concern.”

The legitimate said it was “unlikely” the disaster had been introduced on by a fast runway after the plane skidding off the quit and hit a wall.

They said: “The runway is 2,800 meters long, and similar-sized aircraft have been operating on it without issues.”

The flight data recorder was chanced on at 11.30am native time, about two and a half hours after the crash, and the cockpit advise recorder was chanced on at 2.24pm, based on South Korea’s transport ministry.

Boeing said that it was in contact with Jeju Air and stood “ready to support them”.

The fire company said it had mobilised 32 fire engines and ratings of firefighters to the scene.

South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok, who only took office Friday, convened an emergency meeting with cupboard and headed to the disaster scene.

He said: “I believe no words of consolation would suffice for the bereaved families who have suffered this tragedy.

“The total authorities is working closely collectively to control the aftermath of the accident, dedicating all on hand resources, whereas making every effort to make sure that thorough increase for the bereaved households.”

A seven-day national mourning period has been announced by the government.

It is the first fatal accident in the history of Jeju Air, one of South Korea’s largest low-cost carriers, which was set up in 2005.

King Charles II paid tributes to the victims of the crash.

“My wife and I were profoundly saddened to learn of the horrific air accident at Muan, which resulted in such crude lack of lifestyles,” the King said in a statement.

“As the americans of the Republic of Korea mourn this disaster, the households and cherished ones of your total victims are in our prayers.”

Sir Keir Starmer has sent his “deepest condolences” to the victims of a plane crash in South Korea which killed 179 people.

“I send my deepest condolences to the victims and households of oldsters that lost their lives within the tragic plane crash in Muan,” the Prime Minister said.

“I pay tribute to the work of the emergency responders and my ideas are with the americans of the Republic of Korea and Thailand at this ghastly time.”