Witnesses also reported hearing a ‘metallic scraping’ sound just before the crash in South Korea.
Onlookers who witnessed a passenger plane crash at an airport in South Korea reported hearing ‘explosions’ before the aircraft collided with a concrete wall.
At least 176 of the 181 people on board have been confirmed dead in South Korea’s deadliest domestic civil aviation disaster. The tragedy occurred when a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet crash-landed at Muan International Airport, located approximately 180 miles south of Seoul.
The incident occurred at 9:03 AM local time, after the plane’s front landing gear reportedly failed to deploy, forcing the pilot to make a crash landing. Footage from the airport showed the plane skidding across the runway before crashing into a wall, where it was later seen engulfed in smoke and flames.
Recovery efforts are still ongoing as of December 29, and witnesses have come forward to share their accounts of what they saw and heard during the crash.
According to the Yonhap News Agency, 41-year-old Yoo Jae-yong, who was staying at a rental house near the airport, saw the Jeju Air plane approaching the runway. He recalled seeing a spark on the plane’s right wing and told his family, “I was telling my family there was a problem with the plane when I heard a loud explosion.”
Another witness, identified only as Cho, was out for a walk a couple of miles away from the airport when he saw the plane descending. “I saw the plane descending and thought it was about to land when I noticed a flash of light,” Cho told 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 a ‘metallic scraping’ noise twice about five minutes before the crash.
Kim watched the plane struggle during its initial landing attempt, forcing it to ascend again for a second try. He then heard a ‘loud explosion’ and saw ‘black smoke billowing into the sky.’
Officials have raised suspicions that a bird strike may have caused the crash, as the airport’s control tower had warned the plane about the possibility of a bird strike shortly before the incident.
The control tower also gave the plane’s pilot permission to land in a different area.
The plane’s black box has been recovered, providing officials with data related to the time of the crash. Senior Transport Ministry official Joo Jong-wan has stated that officials are also searching for the cockpit voice recording device.
