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Muan, South Korea — December 29, 2024
A passenger plane carrying 181 people crashed while attempting to land at Muan International Airport in South Korea on Sunday, December 29, 2024. The disaster killed **179 people**, making it the deadliest aviation accident ever recorded on South Korean soil. Only two people survived, both members of the aircraft’s cabin crew.
The aircraft was **Jeju Air Flight 2216**, a Boeing 737-800 traveling from Bangkok, Thailand, to Muan in South Korea. The plane was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members.
The tragedy shocked South Korea and drew international attention as investigators began examining what caused the aircraft to lose control during its final approach.
## What Happened During the Landing?
The aircraft approached Muan International Airport shortly after 9 a.m. local time.
According to officials and video footage from the scene, the aircraft appeared to have difficulty deploying its landing gear. The plane subsequently made a belly landing, meaning it touched down without its normal landing gear fully deployed.
Instead of stopping safely on the runway, the aircraft continued moving at high speed beyond the runway’s end.
Video footage showed the Boeing 737 sliding across the runway before striking a structure near the end of the airport. The collision caused a massive explosion and fire, destroying most of the aircraft.
Emergency crews immediately rushed to the crash site, but the severity of the impact meant that very few people could be rescued.
South Korean authorities eventually confirmed that **179 of the 181 people aboard had died**.
## The Two Survivors
The only survivors were two members of the cabin crew who were rescued from the rear section of the aircraft.
Both were seriously injured and taken to hospitals for treatment.
Their survival was considered remarkable because most of the aircraft was destroyed in the impact and subsequent fire.
Officials later reported that neither survivor initially had a clear memory of everything that happened after they heard a loud sound during the landing. Their injuries included fractures and other trauma, but they were able to receive medical treatment.
The two survivors became an important source of information for investigators as authorities attempted to reconstruct the aircraft’s final moments.
## Was a Bird Strike Responsible?
One of the earliest possibilities examined by investigators was a **bird strike**.
Officials said the airport control tower had warned the aircraft about birds in the area shortly before the crash. The pilots subsequently reported an emergency.