Crash landing in Muan

Almost all identities of the fatalities clarified

The wreckage of the plane in Muan (South Korea)(Bild: AFP/APA/Yonhap)

Following the devastating plane crash in South Korea, 174 of the 179 fatalities have been identified. The authorities have already handed over the first bodies to their families, it was reported on Tuesday. Only two crew members survived the crash landing on Sunday.

As reported, a Boeing belonging to the South Korean budget airline Jeju Air landed in Muan on Sunday morning (local time) without its landing gear deployed and skidded off the runway. The plane crashed into a wall and burst into flames. The authorities suspect that the accident was caused by a bird strike shortly before landing (see video above). However, it is still unclear how the collision with birds could have damaged the landing gear.

The focus is currently on a wall located around 250 meters behind the affected runway. Experts believe that the construction does not meet international standards. An antenna system was installed there, which is necessary for landing. The concrete wall around it should not have been built, said a pilot. The Ministry of Transport stated that other airports in South Korea had a similar concrete structure. The airport said that an elevation was necessary for the system to work.

The wreckage of the Boeing after the crash landing(Bild: AFP/APA/Yonhap)

The runway was initially closed until January 7.(Bild: AFP/APA/Yonhap)

The accident site will be investigated further until then.(Bild: AFP/APA/Yonhap)

Runway closed
The runway at Muan Airport has been closed until January 7 to allow further investigation of the accident site. Korean experts as well as representatives of the US aircraft manufacturer Boeing and the US authority NTSB are on site. Among other things, the maintenance records of all national airlines' Boeing 737-800 aircraft and the two flight recorders of the ill-fated plane are being examined. As the flight recorder containing the data was damaged, it will probably be some time before the results are available.

It is the most devastating plane crash on South Korean soil to date. 179 people lost their lives. Most of them had South Korean citizenship, two had Thai citizenship.