• Scores of people died when a passenger jet crash-landed in South Korea on Sunday. Two crew members were the only survivors after the plane, which was carrying 181 people, landed on its belly, skidded off a runway and burst into flames, officials said. The aviation disaster is South Korea’s deadliest in more than two decades.
Just 2 people survive South Korea's worst plane crash in over 20 years. Catch up here
From CNN staff
Relatives of passengers that were on the plane react at Muan International Airport in South Korea on December 29.
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
Just two of the 181 people on board a South Korean airliner survived when the passenger jet crash-landed at an airport in the country’s southwest Sunday morning local time.
The aircraft skidded down a runway at Muan International Airport on its belly before bursting into flames. The two survivors — both crew members, one male and one female — were rescued from the plane’s tail section, the only part of the aircraft that retained some of its shape, emergency services said. The ages of those on board ranged from 3 to 78.
It is the deadliest aviation disaster to hit South Korea since 1997, when a Korean Airlines Boeing 747 crashed in the Guam jungle, leaving 228 people dead.
Here’s what to know:
Fiery crash: Footage of Sunday’s crash-landing showed the Jeju Air flight sliding on its belly at high speed, hitting an earthen embankment and erupting into a fireball. Videos showed neither the back nor front landing gear were visible as smoke poured from the back of the sliding aircraft.
Search for a cause: Both local fire officials and aviation experts say some sort of landing gear malfunction was likely. Lee Jeong-hyun, the head of the Muan Fire Department, told reporters the cause was “estimated to be the occurrence of a bird strike or bad weather.” But the crash investigation could take years, and experts have urged local officials not to speculate on its cause — even as they face a demand for answers from passengers’ loved ones. A team of US federal investigators will assist in the probe, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Strong safety record: US aviation giant Boeing has had a turbulent time in recent years, including two 737 Max crashes. But the plane involved in the latest crash, a Boeing 737-800, is described by analysts as a reliable workhorse of the skies with an extremely strong safety record. Jeju Air, South Korea’s largest low-cost airline, also has a strong record.
Two “black boxes” found: Both black boxes from the airliner have been recovered, including flight data and voice record, according to a briefing from South Korea’s land ministry. The devices offer aviation safety investigators critical facts when piecing together what happened.
Grieving families: The scene inside Muan International Airport this afternoon was one of heartbreak and anguish as relatives and loved ones waited for news. Many of those gathered burst into tears or cried out as authorities read victims’ names out loud, video footage showed. The father of one victim, a factory worker in South Korea who had been back in Thailand visiting her family before the flight, told the Associated Press he “never thought that this would be the last time we would see each other forever.”
Another man who lost his daughter in the crash, 71-year-old Jeon Je-Young, told Reuters he didn’t hear from his daughter immediately before the crash.
Backdrop of political crisis: The tragic plane crash comes as South Korea’s government faces a full-blown political crisis and leadership remains uncertain in the country. Acting President Choi Sang-mok, who has only been in the job since Friday, visited Muan International Airport on Sunday.
This post has been updated with some of CNN’s latest reporting on the crash.
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Biden shares condolences for South Korea plane crash victims as US sends investigators to assist in probe
From CNN's Rashard Rose and Nikki Carvajal
Wreckage of the plane is seen at Muan International Airport in South Korea on December 29.
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
A team of US federal investigators will assist in the investigation into the deadly South Korean airliner crash, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The NTSB will lead a team of investigators from its agency, Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration, it announced in a post on X.
The investigators will “assist the Republic of Korea’s Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB),” the NTSB said. The Korean investigators will be in charge of releasing information about the probe, as dictated by international protocols, the US agency added.
US President Joe Biden said in a statement Sunday that he was “deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life” from the crash.
Remember: Only two of the 181 people on board Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 survived when the passenger jet crash-landed at Muan International Airport on Sunday morning local time.
Local fire officials and aviation experts say some sort of landing gear malfunction was likely, and the pilot also made a mayday call shortly after the control tower warned about birds in the area, but the official crash investigation could take years. Experts have urged local officials not to speculate on the disaster’s cause until more information is available.
This post has been updated with Biden’s statement.
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"I never thought that this would be the last time we would see each other": Thai family mourns crash victim
From CNN's Antoinette Radford
Two victims on board the deadly Jeju Air plane crash on Sunday were Thai, according to South Korean authorities.
A father of one of the victims, Boonchuay Duangmanee, told the Associated Press that he “never thought that this would be the last time we would see each other forever.”
Duangmanee’s daughter, Jongluk, had been working in a factory in South Korea for several years, he told the AP. She had been back in Thailand visiting family before departing on the flight from Bangkok to Muan International Airport.
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Witness recalls explosions and smoke at crash site of South Korean plane disaster
From CNN’s Catherine Nicholls
Im Young-hak, the owner of a seafood restaurant, is pictured during an interview with Reuters in Muan, South Korea, on December 29.
Reuters
A man who witnessed Sunday’s plane crash in Muan, South Korea, said he is “devastated” by the disaster, describing the scene of the accident to Reuters.
Im Young Hak, who owns a seafood restaurant near the site of the crash, told Reuters he saw “a big dark smoke” and heard multiple explosions around 9 a.m. local time Sunday (7 p.m. ET on Saturday).
He first thought the noise was from an oil tanker accident, as there are many oil tankers nearby, Reuters reported. When he realized it was a plane that crashed, he thought that wild geese could have caused the disaster.
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One of the 2 South Korea plane crash survivors is conscious and talking, hospital director says
From CNN’s Yoonjung Seo and Billy Stockwell
One of the two survivors of Sunday’s Jeju Air crash in South Korea is conscious and talking, despite suffering multiple fractures, according to Ju Woong, the director of Seoul’s Ewha Hospital, where the 33-year-old is being treated.
The hospital director said the man was admitted to the intensive care unit on Sunday afternoon and examinations revealed fractures in his back, which have restricted the patient’s movement. He is currently under intensive monitoring.
The hospital’s psychiatry department is expected to help manage the man’s post-traumatic stress, the director added.
The man apparently told doctors, “When I woke up, I realized I had been rescued,” according to the director.
Both of the crash survivors were members of the flight crew, according to fire officials. They were rescued from the plane’s tail section after the airliner burst into flames.
The female survivor of Sunday’s crash is being treated at Seoul Asan Hospital, according to a hospital briefing.
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"Should I leave my last words?": Passenger’s final messages emerge on Korean media
From CNN’s Yoonjung Seo and Billy Stockwell
Moments before the Jeju Air flight crash-landed, a passenger on board texted their friend to say a bird struck the plane, according to messages widely shared in South Korean media, including CNN affiliate JTBC.
“Wait a minute… we can’t land because a bird (or birds) caught in our wing,” the passenger said at 9 a.m. local time Sunday on a Korean messaging platform, KakaoTalk.
“Since when?” the other person asked.
“Just now… Should I leave my last words?” the passenger responded, before contact was lost.
Investigation underway: Local fire officials and aviation experts say some sort of landing gear malfunction was likely, and the pilot also made a mayday call shortly after the control tower warned about birds in the area, but the official crash investigation could take years.
Experts have urged local officials, who are facing demands for answers from loved ones of those killed in the aviation disaster, not to speculate on its cause until more information is available.
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Just two of the 181 on board survived South Korea plane crash, emergency officials confirm
From CNN’s Yoonjung Seo and Billy Stockwell
The final death toll from the plane crash in South Korea is 179, meaning just two people survived, the fire service says.
Two crew members survived the Jeju Air crash after being pulled from the plane’s tail, the fire service previously said. Both are in hospital, but their condition is not yet known.
Among the dead, 84 are male and 85 are female while the genders of 10 people have not been confirmed, according to the authority.
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South Korea’s acting president declares week of mourning
By CNN’s Yoonjung Seo and Billy Stockwell
South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok has declared a week-long mourning period from Sunday to January 4, following the deadly airliner crash at Muan International Airport.
He added that 17 memorial altars would be set up nationwide.
The call for unity comes as South Korea faces a full-blown political crisis.
Just two days ago, the country’s parliament voted to impeach prime minister and acting president Han Duck-soo, weeks after President Yoon Suk Yeol was stripped of his powers over his short-lived declaration of martial law.
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Jeju Air crash is deadliest aviation disaster to hit South Korea since 1997
From CNN’s Catherine Nicholls
Firefighters and rescue personnel carry the body of a victim at Muan International Airport in South Korea on December 29.
Jung Yeon-je/AFP/Getty Images
The Jeju Air crash in South Korea on Sunday is the deadliest aviation disaster to hit the country since 1997, when a Korean Airlines flight crashed in the Guam jungle, killing 228 people.
There have been several incidents since 1997, but few involved any reported fatalities.
According to the Aviation Safety Network, there have been no other accidents involving fatalities on passenger flights in South Korea since April 2002.
In that April 2002 incident, an Air China Boeing 767-2J6ER crashed into a mountain while attempting to land in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, according to an accident report published by the Korea Aviation–Accident Investigation Board.
Of the 166 people on board, 129 of them, including two copilots, were killed, the report said.
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Three-year-old and 78-year-old among South Korean jet passengers
From CNN’s Yoonjung Seo and Billy Stockwell
The youngest passenger on board the Jeju Air flight which crash-landed on Sunday at Muan International Airport was a three-year-old child, and the oldest was a 78-year-old, according to the fire service, citing the passenger manifest.
So far, the death toll of the devastating crash stands at 177, the fire service said, leaving just two of the 181 people who were on board the plane unaccounted for.
Two crew members – one male and one female – survived the crash and are in hospital.
A week of mourning will be held in South Korea’s Jeolla province to remember the victims of the plane crash, a provincial official said during a briefing on Sunday.
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South Korea plane crash death toll rises by one to 177
From CNN’s Yoonjung Seo
The death toll of the plane crash in Muan, South Korea, has risen again, to 177, according to the fire service.
This leaves only two out of the 181 people who were on board the plane unaccounted for.
The number of survivors remains at two – both crew members, one male and one female – according to the fire service. The pair were pulled from the aircraft’s tail.
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Hundreds of emergency personnel join recovery effort after South Korea plane crash
From CNN’s Yoonjung Seo
South Korean soldiers work near the scene of the crash.
Jung Yeon-je/AFP/Getty Images
More than 1,570 personnel from the military, police and government have been deployed to Muan in South Korea’s Jeolla province to provide support for the recovery effort, an official from the country’s transport ministry said.
The official added that the ministry will interview control tower staff to gather additional information, including whether there were visibility issues.
Communication data between the cockpit and the control tower will also be reviewed, the official added.
Remember: The crash occurred approximately two minutes after the airliner made a mayday call to the control tower, which instructed the plane to land in the opposite direction on the runway.
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In pictures: South Korea’s devastating plane crash
By CNN Digital's Photo Team
Rescue workers are making their way through the wreckage of Jeju Air flight 7C 2216, which crash-landed at South Korea’s Muan International Airport.
The aircraft was carrying 175 passengers and six crew when it crashed. Two crew members have been pulled from the wreckage, while dozens of people have been confirmed dead. It is the deadliest aviation disaster to hit South Korea since 1997, when a Korean Airlines Boeing 747 crashed in the Guam jungle, with the loss of 228 lives.
Experts told CNN that the plane’s undercarriage – specifically, the wheels used for takeoff and landing – appeared not to have fully deployed before landing. But what caused this failure to deploy is still unclear.
South Korean soldiers work near the wreckage of the plane.
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
Rescue workers take part in a salvage operation.
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
A wrecked plane seat lies on the ground of the crash site.
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
A relative of one of the aircraft's passengers wipes his face at Muan International Airport, as people waited for news of their loved ones.
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
One of two passengers rescued from the aircraft is carried into a hospital in Mokpo, South Korea.
Yonhap News Agency/Reuters
An excavator is used to lift burnt chairs from the wreckage.
Survivors found in tail section of plane, the only part that retained some of its shape, fire chief says
From CNN's Yoonjung Seo and Catherine Nicholls
The two confirmed survivors of the Jeju Air crash in South Korea were rescued from the plane’s tail section, the only part of the aircraft that retained some of its shape, Muan fire chief Lee Jung-hyun told a briefing.
The survivors of the crash, a male and a female crew member, are being treated in hospital.
“Only the tail part retains a little bit of shape, and the rest of (the plane) looks almost impossible to recognize,” the fire chief said.
Video and images from the scene show the mottled and charred remains of the aircraft, most of it turned black from the fire. Only the tail section is visibly intact.
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Questions around response of ground team in South Korea crash, analyst says
From CNN’s Catherine Nicholls
Firefighters and rescue team members work near the crash site.
Maeng Dae-hwan/Newsis/AP
There will be questions asked about the response of the ground team at Muan International Airport in South Korea, where a Jeju Air flight crashed on Sunday killing at least 176 people, an aviation journalist told CNN.
“There are a lot of questions here about the response to this incident from the ground perspective,” said Geoffrey Thomas, editor of Airline News.
In a situation like this one, more preparations could have been put in place by ground operatives before the plane reached the runway, Thomas suggested.
“With an emergency like this, why (weren’t) the fire tenders [tankers] out there beside the runway? Why hadn’t they put foam on the runway?” he asked.
There are also questions around the situation on board the plane, Thomas said, including why the aircraft’s undercarriage was not lifted when it tried to land.
This could have happened because of hydraulic issues, though a bird strike, one of the speculated reasons behind why the plane crashed, “would not have probably caused that issue,” he said.
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South Korea plane crash death toll rises to 176
From CNN’s Yoonjung Seo and Catherine Nicholls
The death toll of the plane crash in Muan, South Korea, has risen again, to 176, according to the fire service.
Among these 176 people, 82 are male and 83 are female, while the gender of 11 victims has not yet been confirmed.
This means that three of the 181 people who were on board the plane are still missing.
Two crew members of the Jeju Air aircraft survived the crash, the fire service previously said.
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Both black boxes now recovered from crashed airliner
From CNN’s Gawon Bae and Billy Stockwell
Both black boxes from the South Korean airliner that crashed at the Muan International Airport on Sunday have been recovered, including flight data and voice record, according to a briefing from the Land Ministry.
The ministry said that it appears from videos that the plane’s landing gears were not out, but they will investigate further using flight data from the recording device.
Runways at the international airport will be closed until 5 a.m. local time January 1 (3 p.m. ET December 31), the ministry said.
Rescue work is still underway, the ministry added.
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Investigation into cause of South Korea plane crash may take years
From CNN's Gawon Bae and Catherine Nicholls
Efforts are made to lift the wreckage of the aircraft on December 29.
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
The investigation into what caused the South Korean plane crash may take up to three years, the country’s land ministry said in a briefing.
Investigations into commercial flights can take between six months and three years, it said.
Considering the plane was manufactured outside of South Korea, investigators will need to consult the manufacturers of major parts of the plane, which might mean the investigation takes a long time, the land ministry said.
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Death toll from South Korea plane crash rises to 149
From CNN’s Yoonjung Seo
The death toll from a plane crash at Muan International Airport in South Korea has risen to 149, according to the fire service.
Among the total, 71 are male and 69 are female, while the gender of nine deceased has not been confirmed, as the bodies of the victims were so badly damaged, according to the authority.
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Anguish inside airport as crash victim names read aloud to devastated loved ones
From CNN's Kathleen Magramo and Gawon Bae
Relatives of passengers of the crashed aircraft gather at Muan International Airport on December 29.
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
The scene inside Muan International Airport this afternoon is one of heartbreak and anguish as relatives and loved ones wait for news. Many of those gathered burst into tears or cried out as authorities read victims names out loud, video footage from Reuters showed.
Several relatives could be seen yelling at officials, repeatedly demanding more information in the aftermath of what has been South Korea’s worst air disaster in decades.
Just two people have been pulled alive from the wreckage and rescuers have warned there is little chance of finding any more survivors.
“I’m going crazy,” one man could be heard shouting in the video. People were also seen hugging each other and wiping off their tears as wailing could be heard in the background.
South Korean media have broadcast similar footage in recent hours. “We need to confirm whether they are dead or alive!” a woman could be heard shouting in one broadcast. “Only then can we figure out which hospital to go to!”
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South Korea reels from worst air disaster in years. Here’s the latest
From CNN staff
Firefighters and rescue team members work near the wreckage of a passenger plane at Muan International Airport on December 29.
Ahn Young-joon/AP
Dozens of people died on Sunday when a passenger jet crash-landed at an airport in southwestern South Korea, with the aircraft skidding down the runway on its belly before bursting into flames.
At least 122 people have been confirmed dead so far, according to the local fire department. Two people, both crew members, were pulled alive from the wreckage however rescuers warned chances finding other survivors are slim.
Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 from Bangkok was carrying 175 passengers and six crew when disaster struck at the airport in Muan county, just after 9 a.m. local time Sunday (7 p.m. ET Saturday).
It is the deadliest aviation disaster to hit South Korea since 1997, when a Korean Airlines Boeing 747 crashed in the Guam jungle, with the loss of 228 lives.
The chief executive of Jeju Air, South Korea’s largest low-cost carrier, said the aircraft had shown “no signs of issues” prior to Sunday’s accident.
Here’s what to know:
Search for a cause: Both local fire officials and aviation experts say some sort of landing gear malfunction was likely. Lee Jeong-hyun, the head of the Muan Fire Department, also briefed the media saying that the cause was “estimated to be the occurrence of a bird strike or bad weather.”
Mayday call: The plane’s pilot made a mayday call to the control tower about a minute after acceding to controllers’ request to change landing runways to avoid a possible bird strike risk, according to a briefing from the Land Ministry. The plane hit navigation equipment on the ground before crashing into a wall.
One “black box” found: The flight data recording black box has been recovered by the accident investigation committee but the voice recording device has not been recovered yet, officials said. The “black boxes” offer aviation safety investigators critical facts when piecing together what happened after an incident.
Dramatic scenes: Footage of Sunday’s crash broadcast by multiple South Korean news outlets showed the plane sliding on its belly at high speed, hitting an earthen embankment and erupting into a fireball. The video footage showed neither the back nor front landing gear were visible as smoke poured from the back of the sliding aircraft.
Passengers likely dead: The victims include 54 males, 57 females, and 11 people whose gender could not be determined, according to the South Jeolla Fire Service. Two Thai nationals were among those on board, according to the Land Ministry, while the rest were South Korean.
Strong safety record: US aviation giant Boeing has had a turbulent time in recent years, including two 737 Max crashes. But the plane involved in the latest crash, a Boeing 737-800, is described by analysts as a reliable workhorse of the skies with an extremely strong safety record.
Backdrop of political crisis: The tragic plane crashcomes as South Korea’s government faces a full-blown political crisis and leadership remains uncertain. South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, who has only been in the job since Friday, traveled to Muan International Airport where the plane crashed on Sunday.
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Crashed airliner made mayday call after control tower warned about birds in the area
By CNN’s Gawon Bae and Lucas Lilieholm
The South Korean airliner that crashed at the Muan International Airport on Sunday made a mayday call shortly after the control tower warned about birds in the area, according to a briefing from the Land Ministry.
The jet initially attempted to land on runway no.01, when the control tower warned that birds were in the area and a strike was possible. Approximately one minute later, the pilot made a mayday call to the tower.
The control tower instructed the plane to land in the opposite direction on runway no.19. The pilot followed the instructions and the plane struck navigation equipment on the ground before crashing into a wall.
The landing attempt occurred approximately two minutes after the pilot made the mayday call, according to the ministry. Authorities are continuing their investigation.
One black box recovered
The flight data recording black box has been recovered by the accident investigation committee while the voice recording device has not been recovered yet, officials from the ministry said in a briefing.
The flight data recorders or so-called “black boxes” offer aviation safety investigators critical facts when piecing together an incident.
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Death toll from South Korea plane crash rises to 122
From CNN's Yoonjung Seo
Rescue workers near the site of the crashed aircraft at Muan International Airport on December 29.
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
The death toll from a plane crash at Muan International Airport in South Korea has risen to 122, with only two survivors according to the South Jeolla Fire Service.
Most of the remaining passengers and crew are presumed dead, according to the fire service.
Among those killed, 54 are male and 57 are female, while the gender of 11 remains undetermined, according to the authorities.
The number of survivors remains at two – both crew members, one male and one female – according to the on-site fire service team.
The Jeju Air jetliner was carrying 181 passengers and crew when it crashed Sunday morning.
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Jeju Air jet had “no signs of issues” prior to crash, CEO says
From CNN’s Gawon Bae
Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae and officials bow to apologise for their plane's crash at Muan International Airport as they hold a press conference in Seoul on December 29.
Yonhap News Agency/Reuters
The CEO of South Korea’s Jeju Air said the aircraft that crashed at Muan International Airport had shown “no signs of issues” prior to Sunday’s accident.
“At this time, it is difficult to determine the cause of the accident, and we have to wait for the official announcement of the investigation by the relevant government agency,” Kim Yi-bae said during a press briefing at the airport on Sunday.
He added that the aircraft involved in the disaster had no history of accidents.
Kim offered his “deepest condolences” to the families of those who died in the accident.
He said the company will provide support to the families, most of whom are from Muan county, nearby Gwangju and wider South Jeolla province.
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Boeing extends condolences to families of those killed in South Korea air crash
From CNN's Jerome Taylor
Boeing has extended its condolences to those who lost loved ones in Sunday’s air crash in South Korea and said it was in contact with the carrier Jeju Air.
Jeju Air flight 2216 from Bangkok, which is listed on flight tracking sites as a Boeing 737-800, crashed on Sunday morning at Muan International Airport.
“We are in contact with Jeju Air regarding Flight 2216 and stand ready to support them,” Boeing said in a short statement posted to its X account.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew,” the company added.
Troubled times: US aviation giant Boeing has had a turbulent time in recent years, including two 737 Max crashes, a tragedy for which the company agreed to plead guilty to deceiving the Federal Aviation Administration during the certification process for the plane.
However, analysts have described the Boeing 737-800 as a reliable workhorse of the skies with an extremely strong safety record.
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Aviation experts warn against making declarative conclusions this early on in investigation
From CNN's Kathleen Magramo
Aviation experts told CNN more information and evidence is needed before South Korean authorities can definitively pinpoint what might have caused Sunday’s crash, including speculation from local officials about a possible bird strike.
The comments came after Lee Jeong-hyun, the head of the Muan Fire Department, briefed the media that the cause was “estimated to be the occurrence of a bird strike or bad weather”. Footage of the crash showed clear skies at the time.
David Soucie, former Federal Aviation Administration safety inspector said that “speculation is the worst enemy of an investigator.”
Aviation industry consultant Scott Hamilton echoed Soucie’s concerns and urged South Korean authorities to “stop making declarative statements” at this stage.
“There is no way in the world at this point you can know what caused this accident,” he said.
Hamilton said the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder are both located in the tail of the airplane, which appears to be relatively in tact.
“Because it doesn’t appear that there was fire in the extreme tail section, the data should be able to be read out in pretty short order. You’ll have at some point the recordings of the cockpit airplane communication that will help identify what’s going on,” he said.
For context: South Korean rescuers said they will search for black box flight data recorders after they have recovered the remaining victims, according to a Transport Ministry briefing. “Black boxes” offer aviation safety investigators critical facts when piecing together an incident.
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Death toll from South Korea plane crash rises to 96
From CNN’s Yoonjung Seo
Firefighters work near the aircraft that crashed at Muan International Airport on December 29.
Yonhap News Agency/Reuters
The death toll from a plane crash at the Muan International Airport in South Korea has risen to 96, according to the South Jeolla Fire Service.
The dead included 47 males, 48 females and one child whose gender is unconfirmed.
Most of the remaining passengers and crew are presumed dead, according to an earlier update from the fire service.
The number of survivors remains at 2, both crew members, one male and one female, according to the on-site fire service team.
The Jeju Air jetliner was carrying 181 passengers and crew when it crashed Sunday morning.
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Rescuers will search for black box recorders after victims are recovered, officials say
By CNN’s Yoonjung Seo
Firefighters search near the debris at the site of a plane fire at the Muan International Airport on December 29.
See Dae-yun/Yonhap/AP
Rescue workers will search for the black box flight data recorders on the Jeju Air flight which crash landed at Muan International Airport Sunday after they have recovered the remaining victims, according to a Transport Ministry briefing.
The flight data recorders or so-called “black boxes” offer aviation safety investigators critical facts when piecing together an incident.
More than 700 personnel from the police, military, and coast guard have been mobilized for on-site response efforts, the ministry added.
Muan Fire Department authorities said rescuers are working to identify the victims and record the exact locations where people died.
The dead will be brought to a mortuary at the airport and will be released for burial once the identification process is complete.
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South Korea’s acting president at site of plane crash
From CNN’s Yoonjung Seo
South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, travelled to Muan International Airport where the Jeju Air flight crash landed earlier in the day, according to the Transport Ministry on Sunday.
He said the site had been declared a special disaster zone and vowed a full investigation into what caused the deadly crash.
“We will concentrate all resources on recovery and support for the victims. All necessary resources are being mobilized, and a special disaster zone has been declared,” Choi said in a statement.
President for two days: Choi has only been in the job of acting president since Friday. He stepped in after both President Yoon Suk Yeol, and later his replacement Han Duck-soo, were both impeached by parliament as part of an ongoing political crisis that has rocked South Korea over the last few weeks.
This post has been updated.
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Investigators are exploring whether bird strike may have contributed to South Korea airplane crash
By CNN’s Gawon Bae
Firefighters work the scene of the crashed aircraft at Muan International Airport on December 29.
Yonhap News Agency/Reuters
A bird strike may have caused the crash-landing of a South Korean airplane at Muan International Airport on Sunday, according to fire officials.
“The cause of this accident is estimated to be the occurrence of a bird strike or bad weather, and the exact cause will be announced later through a joint investigation with related agencies,” the head of the Muan Fire Department, Lee Jeong-hyun, told a media briefing.
Footage of the airport on the morning of the crash showed clear blue skies.
Fire officials have already said they believe some sort of landing gear malfunction contributed to the crash and footage showed the aircraft sliding on its belly before bursting into flames.
Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 was carrying 181 people (175 passengers and six crew) from Bangkok, Thailand to Muan International Airport in South Korea.
So far 85 people are confirmed to have died. Two crew members were rescued alive and transferred to hospitals. Most remaining passengers are presumed dead, according to emergency services.
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Crash "perplexing" given Boeing 737-800's strong safety record and "virtually perfect" conditions, analyst says
From CNN's Kathleen Magramo
Sunday’s air disaster in South Korea is “very perplexing” given that both the aircraft and carrier have a strong safety record and flying conditions were excellent, an aviation journalist told CNN.
The Boeing 737-800 is one of the most widely used aircraft in the world and each one is used for about 4 or 5 flights per day, Geoffrey Thomas, editor of Airline News, told CNN’s Paula Newton.
South Korean fire officials have said there may have been a landing gear malfunction and footage showed the aircraft sliding on its belly.
“It’s a little bit unclear whether or not the undercarriage collapsed on landing or whether the undercarriage was not deployed at all. This is a really serious issue that obviously investigators will be very much focused on,” Thomas said.
He added “it is perplexing” that the Jeju Air flight crashed given it was landing under dry and sunny conditions at a good airport.
“This is an extraordinary tragedy that’s obviously going to claim many, many lives. And, it’s a miracle that anybody has actually survived this terrible inferno and crash,” he added.
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Death toll rises to 85, most remaining passengers presumed dead
From CNN’s Yoonjung Seo
Firefighters work the scene of the crashed aircraft at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, on December 29.
Yonhap News Agency/Reuters
The death toll from a plane crash at Muan International Airport in South Korea has risen to 85, with most of the remaining passengers and crew presumed dead, according to the South Jeolla Fire Service.
Among the dead, 39 are male and 46 are female, emergency responders said during an on-site media briefing.
The number of survivors remains at two. Both were crew members, one male and one female, according to the rescue team.
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Landing gear appears not to be set down based on video footage, CNN analyst says
From CNN's Kathleen Magramo
This screengrab from a video shows the plane, seemingly without its landing gear down, as it crash-lands at at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, on December 29.
Lee Geun-Young/Reuters
The aircraft’s landing gear appears not to have been set down when it crash-landed on the runway, based on video footage of Sunday’s disaster, according to a CNN transport analyst.
Mary Schiavo, a former inspector general of the US Department of Transportation, said one of the engines may have gone down or the plane’s indicators could have been damaged. Another possibility, she said, is that the pilot was attempting a “go-around,” meaning the pilot wanted to abort the landing and circle back in the air to check if the gears were working.
Jeju Air flight 7C 2216, listed as a Boeing 737-800 on flight-tracking website FlightAware, was carrying 181 people (175 passengers and six crew) from Bangkok to Muan International Airport.
The tragedy struck during a busy holiday travel season, noted Schiavo, who spoke from Chiang Mai, Thailand.
“Everything is just teeming with families celebrating the holidays. So we can bet that this flight was most likely full,” she said.
While Jeju Air is a popular low-cost carrier, South Korea has a generally high aviation safety rating, Schiavo said. South Korea is rated Category 1 in the US Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) International Aviation Safety Assessment Program.
The aviation industry is booming in South Korea, as well as Thailand and across Southeast Asia, so regulators have to stay on top of the growth, Schiavo said.
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Jeju Air replaces homepage with statement on crashed airliner
From CNN’s Gawon Bae
Jeju Air has replaced its website’s homepage, including tabs for reservations, with a statement following the crash-landing of one of its flights on Sunday.
The website homepage also included numbers to call for information about family members on board.
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Crash footage aired by South Korean networks shows aircraft sliding on belly before bursting into flames
From CNN's Jerome Taylor
People watch a news broadcast on the plane crash, in Seoul, South Korea on December 29.
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
Footage of Sunday’s crash broadcast by multiple South Korean news outlets showed the Jeju Air aircraft sliding on its belly at high speed, careening off the edge of the runway and hitting an earthen embankment before bursting into flames.
The video footage, broadcast by networks including YTN, JTBC and MBC, showed neither the back nor front landing gear were visible as smoke poured from the back of the sliding aircraft.
The plane then smashes into a raised earthen embankment at the end of the runway and erupts in a huge fireball.
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Death toll in South Korea plane crash rises to 62
From CNN’s Yoonjung Seo
The death toll from a plane crash at Muan International Airport in South Korea has risen to 62, according to the South Jeolla Fire Service.
The victims include 25 males and 37 females.
There are still only two survivors, according to the fire service.
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All flights to South Korea’s Muan airport cancelled following Jeju Air plane crash
From CNN's Gawon Bae
All flights arriving at South Korea’s Muan International Airport have been cancelled following the crash-landing of a Jeju Air flight on Sunday, according to the Korea Airports Corporation.
South Korea’s acting president instructs “all available” resources to respond to plane crash
From CNN’s Yoonjung Seo and Gawon Bae
South Korea's acting president Choi Sang-mok at the government complex in Seoul, South Korea, on December 27.
Yonhap News Agency/Reuters
South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, has instructed emergency responders to mobilize “all available” equipment and personnel to respond to the plane crash at the Muan International Airport on Sunday, according to the interior and safety ministry.
Investigators from South Korea’s Incident Investigation Committee arrived on site at 10:10 a.m. (8:10 p.m. ET) and are looking into the cause of the accident, according to the land ministry.
Remember: Choi has only been in the job of acting president since Friday. He stepped in after both President Yoon Suk Yeol, and later his replacement Han Duck-soo, were both impeached by parliament as part of an ongoing political crisis that has rocked South Korea over the last few weeks.
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Crash comes at a time when South Korea's political leadership is beset by crisis
From CNN's Jerome Taylor
Television screens show live footage of an address by South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol at an electronic market in Seoul on December 7. Yoon apologized for the confusion caused by his declaration of martial law
Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images
Sunday’s plane crash, in which at least 47 people have died, comes as South Korea’s government faces a full-blown political crisis.
The country’s current president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was stripped of his powers by parliament two weeks ago following a short-lived martial law order that plunged the country into political disarray. He is currently suspended while a top court decides his fate.
But the chaos at the top of the executive doesn’t stop there. Han Duck-soo, the man who stepped in to replace Yoon as acting president, was impeached by parliament on Friday.
That means the finance minister and deputy prime minister, Choi Sang-mok, is now acting president and faces a major air disaster just two days into his new job.
Uncertain future: If the Constitutional Court upholds Yoon’s impeachment, he will become the shortest-serving president in South Korea’s democratic history. The country must then hold new presidential elections within 60 days.
The former prosecutor has been banned from leaving the country and is facing a string of investigations, including potential charges of leading an insurrection – a crime punishable by life imprisonment or even the death penalty.
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At least 47 dead in South Korea airline crash
From CNN’s Yoonjung Seo
At least 47 people are confirmed dead after a South Korean airliner crash-landed at the Muan airport in South Korea on Sunday, according to the South Jeolla Fire Service Headquarters.
The current number of survivors is two, according to the fire service.
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2 Thai nationals among passengers on board crashed South Korea airliner
From CNN’s Gawon Bae
Firefighters work to extinguish a fire off the runway of Muan International Airport.
Maeng Dae-hwan/Newsis/AP
Two Thai nationals were among the passengers on board an airliner that crash-landed at the Muan airport in South Korea on Sunday, according to the South Korean Land Ministry.
Jeju Air flight 7C 2216, listed as a Boeing 737-800 on FlightAware, was carrying 181 people from Bangkok, Thailand to Muan International Airport in South Korea.
Footage shows Jeju Air plane burst into flames after crash landing
From CNN's Kathleen Magramo
Thick smoke billowed from the burning wreckage after a Jeju Air jetliner crash-landed on the runway of Muan International Airport, multiple footage clips published by public broadcaster Yonhap news agency showed.
Video showed fire services attempting to extinguish the fire with water cannons. Several parts of the aircraft were also seen strewn across the runway and an earthen embankment.
The Jeju Air aircraft was carrying 175 passengers and 6 crew when it crashed just after 9 am local time. A fire department official who spoke to CNN said the airplane had been “almost completely destroyed” by fire.
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At least 28 dead after South Korean jet carrying 181 people crashes at airport
From CNN's Yoonjung Seo
Firefighters and rescue team members work on the runway of Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, on Sunday.
Lee Young-ju/Newsis/AP
At least 28 people have died in a plane crash in southwestern South Korea, a local fire department official has told CNN.
South Jeolla province Fire Service Headquarters said that number is expected to grow as recovery operations continue.
The Jeju Air jetliner was carrying 175 passengers and six crew when it crashed on landing at the airport in Muan county, just after 9 a.m. local time Sunday (7 p.m. ET Saturday).
Emergency responders said they had rescued two people from the plane, according to the fire department.
Rescue workers are focusing on reaching people inside the tail section of the plane.
A fire department official who spoke to CNN said the airplane had been “almost completely destroyed” by fire.
Images of the crash published by the Yonhap news agency showed only the tail section of the plane intact, surrounded by flames.
According to the fire department, the accident was caused by a landing gear malfunction.
