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South Korea Probes Jeju Air Crash That Killed 179 on Boeing 737-800

Jan 1, 2025, 09:18 AM

South Korean investigators are probing the Jeju Air crash, the deadliest aviation disaster in the country's history, which occurred on Sunday, December 29, 2024, at Muan International Airport in the country's southwest. The crash involved a Boeing 737-800 carrying 181 passengers, of whom 179 died, traveling from Bangkok to Muan. The aircraft belly-landed without deploying its landing gear, collided with a concrete barrier at the end of the runway, and burst into flames. Two flight attendants survived. Initial data from the cockpit voice recorder has been extracted and is being converted into audio format. The flight data recorder, which was damaged and deemed unrecoverable for local analysis, will be sent to the United States for examination in collaboration with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. Investigators are examining potential causes, including a bird strike, the failure of the landing gear to deploy properly, and the role of the concrete barrier in exacerbating the crash. South Korea has initiated inspections of all domestic Boeing 737-800 aircraft to assess landing gear systems. Families of the victims have visited the crash site to pay respects, as authorities work to identify and return the remains of those who perished.