Officers say air site visitors controllers warned plane about hen strike dangers minutes earlier than crash
Raphael Rashid
Raphael Rashid is reporting for the Guardian from Seoul
A hen strike has emerged as a attainable think about Sunday’s crash, after officers revealed that air site visitors controllers warned the plane about hen strike dangers minutes earlier than the accident and one of many surviving crew members reportedly talked about a hen strike after being rescued. Whereas the precise trigger stays below investigation, the incident has drawn consideration to Muan Worldwide Airport’s historical past with such incidents, reports Yonhap News.
The airport has recorded the very best charge of hen strikes amongst South Korea’s 14 regional airports, with 10 incidents reported between 2019 and August this yr, in line with information submitted to parliament by the Korea Airports Company.
Although absolutely the quantity is small, making it tough to generalise into significant statistics, the strike charge of 0.09% of flights is considerably larger than different main airports like Gimpo (0.018%) and Jeju (0.013%).
Aviation consultants say hen strikes could be catastrophic. The danger is especially excessive at Muan on account of its location close to fields and coastal areas.
Nationwide hen strike incidents have been steadily rising, from 108 in 2019 to 152 final yr. Some recommend this rise might be linked to local weather change, with migratory birds turning into everlasting residents and shifts occurring in each the timing and species of birds showing at airports. Airports make use of varied countermeasures together with sound deterrents and monitoring methods, whereas some at the moment are exploring AI and radar expertise to trace hen actions.
Key occasions
One of many two black bins retrieved from the Jeju Air airplane that crashed in South Korea on Sunday had sustained partial harm, reviews the Yonhap information company in South Korea.
The harm will probably delay evaluation to establish the reason for the accident, land ministry officers mentioned.
“Decoding the FDR alone might take a couple of month,” the official added.
“If we have now problem decoding it right here, then we could must ship it to the NTSB,” the second official mentioned. “They’ve circumstances from everywhere in the world to investigate, so it might take fairly a little bit of time.”
The UK overseas secretary, David Lammy, says he’s “deeply saddened” by the deadly Jeju Air airplane crash in South Korea.
In a post on X, Lammy wrote: “My heartfelt condolences exit to the folks of South Korea and Thailand, and all people who have misplaced family members.”
The cousin of a Thai passenger, 49-year-old Jongluk Doungmanee, who flew on the deadly Jeju Air airplane says she is “saddened” and “shocked”.
Pornphichaya chalermsin, from Nong Wua So District, Udon Thani, informed the BBC that her cousin Jongluk was residing in South Korea for 5 years along with her two kids, aged 7 and 15. She labored in agriculture along with her Korean husband, whom she married three years in the past.
In an interview with BBC Thai, she mentioned she had “solely ever seen such information from different international locations and by no means thought it might contain Thai folks”, including that “watching the video footage made me really feel much more distressed.
“I used to be shocked, I had goosebumps. I couldn’t consider it… when the information mentioned one of many victims was from Udon Thani, I used to be much more shocked.”
Earlier than her flight on Jeju Air Flight 7C2216, Joungluk was in Thailand visiting her household and touring in Chiang Mai along with her husband. Her husband returned to South Korea earlier than she departed.
Jeju Air has declined to touch upon the reason for the accident throughout information conferences, saying an investigation is below approach. Underneath international aviation guidelines, South Korea will lead a civil investigation into the crash and mechanically contain the Nationwide Transportation Security Board within the US the place the airplane was designed and constructed.
Listed here are a number of the newest pictures being despatched over to us from the newswires:
All passengers and 4 crew killed in Jeju Air flight crash, officers verify
179 folks have died and two folks have been rescued from the airplane carrying 181 those who crashed on the Muan worldwide airport this morning, the Yonhap information company reported, citing rescue authorities. Which means officers have now confirmed that the entire airplane’s 175 passengers have been killed within the crash, together with 4 flight employees. “Of the 179 useless, 65 have been recognized,” South Korea’s hearth company mentioned. The 2 surviving crew members have been rescued from the tail of the plane and had suffered “mid to extreme” accidents, authorities mentioned. It’s the deadliest air crash to happen in South Korea, surpassing the 1993 Asiana Airways crash in Mokpo that killed over 60 folks.
Raphael Rashid
Chinese language President Xi Jinping has despatched his condolences to South Korea’s appearing president Choi Sang-mok, relating to the lethal Jeju Air crash. Xi expressed shocked relating to the numerous variety of casualties and expressed deep mourning for the victims, condolences to the bereaved households, and needs to the injured for a speedy restoration.
South Korea declares seven-day nationwide mourning interval over airplane crash
South Korea’s appearing president, Choi Sang-mok, has declared a interval of nationwide mourning till 4 January over the airplane crash at Muan worldwide airport that killed at 1east 177 folks.
“We lengthen our deepest condolences and sympathy to the bereaved households of those that misplaced their lives on this sudden tragedy,” he was quoted as saying. Flags at authorities workplaces will likely be lowered and civil servants will put on black ribbons, the BBC reviews.
The incident is the primary main check for Choi, who assumed workplace on Friday after South Korea’s parliament voted to impeach the previous acting president, Han Duck-soo.
What we all know to date…
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At the least 177 folks have been killed within the deadliest air accident ever in South Korea on Sunday after a airplane – flying from Bangkok – crashed whereas touchdown at Muan worldwide airport shortly after 09:00 native time (00:00 GMT).
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181 folks have been on board the airplane on the time of the crash – together with six crew members.
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Two folks, each crew members, have been rescued from the wreckage and brought to hospital. They suffered “mid to extreme” accidents, authorities mentioned. Officers have advised the remaining on board are presumed useless.
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84 ladies, 82 males and 11 others whose genders weren’t instantly identifiable died within the hearth, the South Korean hearth company reported. Two folks remained lacking 9 hours after the incident.
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In line with authorities, the youngest passenger was a three-year-old boy and the oldest was a 78-year-old. 5 of the individuals who have been killed within the crash have been kids below the age of 10.
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A neighborhood hearth official mentioned the crash might have been brought on by a hen strike and climate circumstances, however the precise trigger shouldn’t be but recognized.
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The airplane concerned within the crash was a Boeing 737-800 flown by Korean price range airline Jeju Air.
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A transport ministry official mentioned staff had retrieved the flight information and cockpit voice recorders of the airplane’s black field. They are going to be examined by authorities consultants. The runway is predicted to be closed till 1 January.
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Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae apologised for the accident, bowing deeply throughout a televised briefing. He mentioned the plane had no document of accidents and there have been no early indicators of malfunction.
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Over 1,500 emergency personnel have been deployed to the location and a particular catastrophe zone has been enforced.
You may learn extra of the most recent developments here.
Raphael Rashid
Raphael Rashid is reporting for the Guardian from Seoul
Airport employees have revealed that an unusually massive flock of birds was noticed over Muan Worldwide Airport’s runway on Sunday morning, hours earlier than the crash. “Employees members all mentioned that they had by no means seen so many birds earlier than. They all of a sudden flew in from outdoors the airport,” an nameless airport official told OhmyNews, including that such a focus of birds was by no means seen earlier than.
The sighting raises questions in regards to the adequacy of the airport’s hen management measures. Whereas South Korean regulation requires airports to take care of year-round hen deterrent actions with devoted personnel and gear, it stays unclear what particular actions have been taken in response to Sunday morning’s hen exercise.
The transport ministry has beforehand confirmed that air site visitors controllers warned the Jeju Air flight about hen strike dangers at 08:57, with the pilot declaring a mayday one minute later. Footage taken because the plane approached the airport seems to indicate uncommon flames coming from its proper engine.
5 folks killed in crash have been kids below the age of 10 – authorities
The Jeju Air flight 7C2216 from Bangkok had 175 passengers, together with two Thai nationals, and 6 crew onboard.
In line with authorities, the youngest passenger was a three-year-old boy and the oldest was a 78-year-old.
5 of the individuals who have been killed within the crash have been kids below the age of 10, authorities mentioned, citing the passenger manifest. Many of the passengers have been of their 40s, 50s and 60s, South Korean Yonhap information company reviews.
Here’s a video of the second the Boeing 737-800 skidded alongside the runway earlier than hitting what seemed to be a concrete barrier and bursting into flames at South Korea’s Muan airport (this video could also be distressing to some folks):
Loss of life toll from airplane crash rises to 177 – South Korean hearth company says
At the least 177 folks – 84 ladies, 82 males and 11 others whose genders weren’t instantly identifiable – died within the hearth, the South Korean hearth company has mentioned in its newest replace. Emergency staff pulled two folks, each crew members, to security. Well being officers mentioned they’re acutely aware and never in life-threatening situation.
Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has despatched condolences to the households of these killed within the lethal airplane crash. “We’ve got obtained horrible information of a airplane crash in South Korea with many fatalities. Our condolences exit to the households of these killed within the crash and we want the injured a speedy restoration,” he wrote in a post on X.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned:
On behalf of the Ukrainian folks and myself, I lengthen heartfelt condolences to the bereaved households, the folks of Korea, and Performing President Choi Sang-mok. We share your sorrow and stand with the Korean folks on this time of grief.
Loss of life toll rises to 176, officers say
Raphael Rashid
The loss of life toll from Sunday’s Jeju Air crash has climbed to 176, with three folks nonetheless lacking, South Korea’s hearth company has introduced.
Search groups will proceed working by means of the evening to find the remaining three lacking individuals. Solely two crew members are understood to have survived.
Investigators get better each black bins from wreckage of airplane – transport ministry
Raphael Rashid
In line with the transport ministry, investigators have recovered each black bins from the wreckage: the cockpit voice recorder at 11:30 and the flight information recorder at 14:24. Eight plane accident investigators and 9 aviation security inspectors are conducting preliminary investigations on the scene.
Greater than 1,500 personnel have been mobilised for the rescue and restoration operation, together with 490 firefighters, 455 cops, and 340 navy personnel.
The airport’s runway will stay closed till 05:00 on 1 January 2025, although this timeframe could also be adjusted.
A short lived morgue has been arrange on the airport, with authorities working with households to rearrange transfers of recognized victims to exterior services.
Officers say air site visitors controllers warned plane about hen strike dangers minutes earlier than crash
Raphael Rashid
Raphael Rashid is reporting for the Guardian from Seoul
A hen strike has emerged as a attainable think about Sunday’s crash, after officers revealed that air site visitors controllers warned the plane about hen strike dangers minutes earlier than the accident and one of many surviving crew members reportedly talked about a hen strike after being rescued. Whereas the precise trigger stays below investigation, the incident has drawn consideration to Muan Worldwide Airport’s historical past with such incidents, reports Yonhap News.
The airport has recorded the very best charge of hen strikes amongst South Korea’s 14 regional airports, with 10 incidents reported between 2019 and August this yr, in line with information submitted to parliament by the Korea Airports Company.
Although absolutely the quantity is small, making it tough to generalise into significant statistics, the strike charge of 0.09% of flights is considerably larger than different main airports like Gimpo (0.018%) and Jeju (0.013%).
Aviation consultants say hen strikes could be catastrophic. The danger is especially excessive at Muan on account of its location close to fields and coastal areas.
Nationwide hen strike incidents have been steadily rising, from 108 in 2019 to 152 final yr. Some recommend this rise might be linked to local weather change, with migratory birds turning into everlasting residents and shifts occurring in each the timing and species of birds showing at airports. Airports make use of varied countermeasures together with sound deterrents and monitoring methods, whereas some at the moment are exploring AI and radar expertise to trace hen actions.
All flights arriving at South Korea’s Muan worldwide airport have been cancelled on Sunday, the Korea Airports Company mentioned this morning.
Hours after the crash (the airplane was trying to land shortly after 9am native time/00.00 GMT)), relations gathered within the airport’s arrival space. They might be heard screaming and crying as medics introduced the names of twenty-two victims to date recognized by their fingerprints, in line with Reuters. Papers have been circulated for households to write down down their contact particulars. Two flight employees (one male and one feminine) have been discovered alive and transported to hospital, the fireplace company mentioned. The remainder of the 181 folks aboard are presumed to have died, although this has not been formally confirmed but.
