179 dead in South Korea’s worst plane crash in years

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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.

“She was almost home, so she didn’t feel the need to make a call,” Jeon said. “She thought she was coming home. I figure in those last moments when she did try to reach out, the damage had already been done and the plane had probably crashed,” he said.

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.

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By Yoonjung Seo, Gawon Bae, Lucas Lilieholm, Kathleen Magramo, Jerome Taylor, James Legge, Billy Stockwell, Catherine Nicholls, Antoinette Radford and Maureen Chowdhury, CNN

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