Why Korean Airline Crashed

Reports have confirmed that a South Korean airline, operated by Jeju Air, crashed while attempting to land at the Muan Airport early Sunday.

The plane, a Boeing 737-800, carrying 181 passengers, including six flight crew, crashed and fatally ended its journey that begun in Bangkok, the Thailand capital.

It also burst into intense flame on impact barring effective rescue operations until fire fighters from the airport put it out. By then however, most of the victims were burnt beyond recognition.

Earlier reports suggested that over 80 passengers died, latest information say the death toll has risen to 171 with only two  pulled out of the wreckage barely alive, and taken to the hospital.

Although no verified immediate cause has been established, as the content of the black box is yet to be ascertained, reports, quoting transport officials, say the pilot announced “Mayday” after a possible bird attack. 

According to the reports, the pilot was said to have made a first attempt at landing but warned by air traffic control to abort same given the presence of a swarm of birds. Barely two minutes after being the order, he made a 'Mayday' call prompting air traffic control to give immediate clearance for emergency landing against the wind.

The pilot, the reports added, accepted the emergency landing order. However, the process went awry as neither the wheels nor landing gears activated on the final approach, forcing the pilot to land the aircraft on its belly and ran over 70 meters before ramming into a block and bursting into a fiery conflagrstion following the skewed landing.

Viral online footages show the aircraft veering off the runway, hitting a wall before exploding in conflagration.

Meanwhile, family members of the passengers have since gathered at the airport for news even as search at the crash site is ongoing.