Only two individuals survived the tragic crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216.
The first words of one of the survivors of Jeju Air Flight 2216 have been revealed.
Tragic events unfolded on December 29 when a Jeju Air flight crash-landed at Muan International Airport in South Korea.
The incident, believed to be caused by a landing gear failure, saw the plane hit the runway and slide into a concrete wall before erupting into flames.
Out of the 181 passengers and crew onboard, only two crew members survived.
An aviation expert has claimed that if the concrete wall had not been present, more people might have survived the tragic incident.
David Learmount, Operations and Safety Editor at Flight International magazine, told Sky News: “Not only is there no justification for the wall being there, but I also think it’s almost criminal to have it in place.
“That kind of structure should not exist. It’s dreadful—unbelievably dreadful.”
He added, “The pilot handled it beautifully under the circumstances. They were going very fast, but the plane remained intact as it slid along the ground.”
Now, according to reports, one of the survivors has spoken his first words.
Identified by his surname Lee, the 33-year-old was taken to Ewha Women’s University Hospital in Seoul for treatment following the crash. Upon waking up, he reportedly asked, “What happened?” and “Why am I here?” according to Mail Online.
Although he survived the ordeal, Lee is said to have sustained multiple fractures, including broken ribs and traumatic spinal injuries, which may put him at risk of paralysis, as reported by The Mirror.
According to Yonhap News Agency, hospital director Ju Woong reported that Lee also told doctors (via NBC News), “When I woke up, I had already been rescued.”
She added that while Lee was in intensive care, he communicated well and had shown “no indication yet of memory loss or anything similar.”
The other survivor, a 25-year-old female cabin crew member, is being treated at the same hospital for scalp lacerations and an ankle fracture, a hospital official told local news outlets. She is also undergoing treatment for abdominal issues and is expected to make a full recovery.
Less than 24 hours after the incident, another Jeju Air flight was forced to turn around due to what appears to be another landing gear-related issue.
Song Kyung-hoon, head of the management support office at Jeju Air, said in a news conference, as reported by The Economic Times: “Shortly after takeoff, a signal indicating a landing gear issue was detected on the aircraft’s monitoring system.”
“At 6:57 a.m., the captain communicated with ground control, and after taking additional measures, the landing gear returned to normal operation.”
“However, the decision was made to return to the airport for a thorough inspection of the aircraft.”
