Warning: This article contains graphic images, video and description which some readers may find distressing
A devastating plane crash in South Korea left 179 out of 181 onboard dead and some of the victims’ loved ones are speaking out.
Earlier today (December 29) shortly after 9:00 am local time, a Jeju Air Flight 2216 – a Boeing 737-800 passenger aircraft – tried to land at Muan International Airport in Muan County, South Korea after taking off from Suvarnabhumi Airport near Bangkok, Thailand at around 2:00 am local time.
The aircraft ended up crashing following an emergency landing, killing 179 out of 181 onboard.
Harrowing footage from the airport shows the moment the passenger plane attempts to land on the runway, with it ending up skidding across and colliding with a wall, later bursting into smoke and flames.
It’s reported the front landing gear of the plane failed to deploy, forcing the pilot to make a crash landing.
Director of the Aviation Policy Division at South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Joo Jong-wan said, as per NBC News, the pilot ‘declared mayday after issuing the bird strike alert’.
An investigation into the tragedy is still underway, with the crash marking South Korea’s worst domestic civil aviation disaster in history.
At the time of writing, recovery efforts are ongoing and the BBC quotes Yonhap news agency as stating the runway will remain closed until New Year’s Day as teams analyse the wreckage.
Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 flight crashed on the morning of December 29 ( JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images)
It’s reported the crash has taken the lives of 179 people out of the 181 passengers and members of crew onboard. The two survivors were rushed to hospital and now, loved ones of some of the victims have spoken out.
Maeng Gi-su’s nephew and his nephew’s two sons had been onboard the flight, returning from a holiday in celebration of the youngest son’s college entrance exams being over.
The 78-year-old told the BBC: “I can’t believe the entire family has just disappeared. My heart aches so much.”
A cousin of another passenger onboard the flight told the BBC she had ‘goosebumps’ when she heard of the crash.
“I couldn’t believe it… when the news said one of the victims was from Udon Thani, I was even more surprised,” she said.
Recovery efforts are ongoing (JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images)
The government of South Korea has announced a national mourning period of seven days.
In a statement, Boeing said: “We are in contact with Jeju Air regarding flight 2216 and stand ready to support them. We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew.”
Jeju Air has a banner at the top of its website which reads: “We deeply apologize to all those affected by the incident. We will make every effort to resolve the situation. We sincerely regret the distress caused.”
Footage caught at an airport in South Korea shows the moments leading up to a plane crash which killed an estimated 167 people.
A total of 181 passengers and crew members were on board the Jeju Air plane when it came in to land at 9.03am local time at Muan Airport, about 180 miles (290km) south of Seoul, after traveling from Bangkok, Thailand today (December 29).
According to local media, the Boeing 737-800 jet was making its second attempt at returning to the ground after its landing gear failed to open, forcing it to make a crash landing.
As the plane approached the ground, it veered off the runway and crashed into a concrete wall before bursting into flames.
A number of helicopters as well as 32 firetrucks responded to the incident, along with approximately 1,560 firefighters, police officers, soldiers and other officials.
Rescue workers have been attempting to pull people from the wreckage of the plane and two crew members have been rescued, but firefighters have said that other missing people are now presumed to have been killed.
Those confirmed dead include 79 women, 77 men and 11 others whose genders were not immediately identifiable, though the death toll is expected to rise as the recovery efforts continue.
There were 181 people on board the plane (SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
South Korea’s transport ministry has since stated that the airport’s control tower warned the plane of a bird strike prior to the crash, and gave the pilot permission to land in a different area.
News1 has also reported that a passenger on board texted one of their relatives prior to the crash to say a bird had become stuck in the wing of the plane.
As per the outlet, their last message read: “Should I say my last words?”
A plane with 181 people on board has crashed in South Korea. The first footage from the site of the Jeju Air Flight 2216 crash in South Korea shows 181 people on board, with 23 fatalities reported so far.
Shortly before the plane skidded into the wall, the pilot sent out a distress signal.
Authorities have now retrieved data from the plane’s black box to help offer insight into what happened when the plane went down, Sky News reports. According to Senior Transport Ministry official Joo Jong-wan, officials are still looking for the cockpit voice recording device.
Images from the site show smoke and flames engulfing the plane, which was completely destroyed in the incident. Officials have confirmed the fire has since been extinguished, but Lee Jeong-hyeon, chief of the Muan fire station, said during a televised briefing that the tail of the plane was the only recognizable part of the aircraft after the crash
The incident took place at 9.03am local time after the front landing gear of the plane apparently failed to deploy, forcing the pilot to make a crash landing.
Footage from the airport showed the plane skidding across the runway before it collided with the wall, where it was later seen engulfed in smoke and flames.
Recovery efforts are ongoing at the time of writing (December 29), and witnesses have now come forward to describe what they saw and heard as the crash took place.
According to the Yonhap News Agency, 41-year-old Yoo Jae-yong was staying at a rental house near the airport when he saw the Jeju Air plane approaching the runway.
He remembered seeing a spark on the plane’s right wing, and recalled: “I was telling my family there was a problem with the plane when I heard a loud explosion.”
Another witness, identified only the name Cho, was out talking a walk a couple of miles away from the airport when he saw the plane making its descent.
“I saw the plane descending and thought it was about to land when I noticed a flash of light,” Cho said to the news agency. “Then there was a loud bang followed by smoke in the air, and then I heard a series of explosions.”
Unusual sounds were also reported by 70-year-old Kim Yong-cheol, who heard the sound of ‘metallic scraping’ twice about five minutes before the crash.
Witnesses reported hearing ‘scraping’ and ‘explosions’ (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
Kim watched the plane struggle to make its initial landing, forcing it to ascend again for a second attempt. He then heard a ‘loud explosion’ and saw ‘black smoke billowing into the sky’.
Officials have shared suspicions that a bird strike may have been the cause of the crash after the airport’s control tower warned the plane of a bird strike.
The tower also gave the plane’s pilot permission to land in a different area.
The plane’s black box has been recovered to provide officials with data relating to the time of the crash, and Senior Transport Ministry official Joo Jong-wan has said that officials are also looking for the cockpit voice recording device
A woman has explained how she was the sole survivor of a plane crash that resulted in 152 people tragically losing their lives.
Bahia Bakari was just 12 years old when she boarded a Yemen Airways flight with her mother from Paris to Comoros.
But on June 30, 2009, the Airbus A310 crashed into the sea upon descending.
This left 141 passengers and 11 crew members dead, with Bakari the only survivor.
In 2022, Bakar provided a testimony reflecting on what happened that day as Yemen’s national air carrier – now known as Yemenia – faced charges of manslaughter and unintentional injuries as a result of the crash.
THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images
Speaking in the Paris court, a then 25-year-old Bakari explained how passengers were ‘exhausted’ on the night flight.
“We were landing, I started to feel some turbulence, but people didn’t seem worried about it. Then I felt an electrical shock and I woke up in the water,” she said.
“I don’t remember what happened between sitting in the plane and being in the water. I have a black hole.”
ABC reported at the time that Bakari grabbed a piece of debris and used it to keep afloat after the plane plummeted into the sea.
She was in the water for 11 hours before she was rescued by fishermen.
Bakari said that she remembers hearing ‘female voices which screamed for help in Comorian’ but that she fell asleep and woke up alone.
Recalling the time she waited in the water for help, Bakari said: “It was so long. I almost gave up. I almost lost hope. Thinking about my mom helped me to hold up. I convinced myself that everyone except me made it home safe.”
Thankfully, the young girl was rescued from the water and taken to Moroni hospital.
Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images
She had sustained a broken collarbone, hip, and other injuries during the crash.
“I don’t suffer any physical effects, but my mother is gone. I was very close to her,” Bakari added.
In September 2022, the court ruled Yemenia was guilty of involuntary homicide for the crash and it was ordered to pay a $224,500 fine.
The airline was also ordered to pay $998,000 in damages and legal costs to the lone survivor, Bakari, and the families of 65 French citizens who were killed.
Said Assoumani, the head of a victims’ families association, said: “French justice has acknowledged that Yemenia committed serious mistakes.
Three members of The Nelon family have passed away after being involved in a plane crash, their management has confirmed.
Yesterday (26 July), a plane crash occurred at around 1:06pm in an area north of Gillette, Wyoming USA and a ‘wildland fire was caused near the crash site’.
Seven people are reported as having passed away as a result of the crash. Autumn Nelon Streetman – one of the four members of popular US gospel group The Nelons – has confirmed her three fellow band and family members Jason Clark, Kelly Nelon Clark and their daughter Amber Kistler were three of those killed.
Three out of four members of The Nelons have passed away (Instagram/ @thenelonsofficial)
The family are reported as having been traveling to perform on a cruise ship.
Autumn shared a statement via Instagram which reads: “As many of you have heard by now, my father and mother, Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark, along with my sister, Amber, and brother-in-law, Nathan, as well as our dear friends Melodi Hodges, Larry, and Melissa Haynie, were involved in a tragic plane crash on Friday.
“Thank you for the prayers that have been extended already to me, my husband, Jamie, and our soon-to-be-born baby boy, as well as Jason’s parents, Dan and Linda Clark.
“We appreciate your continued prayers, love, and support as we navigate the coming days.”
And the gospel group’s management also released a statement.
The group’s management released a statement (Instagram/ @thenelonsofficial)
The statement from Gaither Management Group added: “One of the best loved Gospel music families in America, The Nelons were involved in a tragic, fatal plane crash on Friday afternoon on their way to join the Gaither Homecoming Cruise to Alaska.
“Killed in the crash were Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark, Amber and Nathan Kistler and their assistant, Melodi Hodges, along with the pilot, Larry Haynie and his wife, Melissa. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident.
“Autumn, Jason and Kelly’s youngest daughter, and her husband, Jamie Streetman were not on the plane and arrived safely into Seattle and were notified of the accident.
“They were brought to the hotel where artists were gathered with Bill and Gloria Gaither to pray, sing and embrace them in their grief, pledging to support them in whatever needs arise.
“Autumn and Jamie will return home for now to Kelly’s brother, Todd Nelon and his wife, Rhonda, to begin the hard tasks that lie ahead.
“Please keep them, the Kistler family, the Haynie family and the family of Melodi Hodges in your prayers.”
And Campbell County Fire Department released a statement regarding the incident on its Facebook page.
The statement noted Campbell County Sheriff’s Deputies, Campbell County Fire department and Campbell County Health EMS attended the scene and that the fire department units worked to ‘suppress the fire’ caused by the incident, using ‘aircraft, heavy equipment and engine crews’.
It added The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is ‘the investigating agency’.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.
Featured Image Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images/Jason Kempin/Getty Images
