With 2024 in the not-so-distant past, many people looked toward the new year with hopes and goals in mind. However, for those grieving the lives lost in the recent plane crash in South Korea, 2025 marked a difficult start.
At 9:03 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 29, flight 7C2216, en route from Bangkok, Thailand, to Muan International Airport, crash-landed, killing 179 of the 181 people on board. The Boeing 737-800 passenger jet did not deploy landing gear, making contact with the ground, skidding off the runway and bursting into flames. Sliding about 6,000 feet, the plane slammed into a large concrete wall near the runway, causing it to explode.
The only two survivors, a man and a woman, were rushed to the hospital. The man regained consciousness for the first time, aware of his rescue. Seated in the rear section of the plane at the time of the crash, these crew members were the only ones to survive, though they sustained severe injuries.
Identified by his last name, Lee, the 33-year-old flight attendant was quoted as telling doctors that he had “already been rescued,” according to ABC News. Lee remained under intensive care at Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital, suffering from multiple fractures and possible paralysis.
The only other survivor, 25-year-old Koo, was reported to be receiving care at a separate hospital, where she was in stable condition. Recovering from injuries to the ankle and head, doctors treating her declined to comment.
The investigation into the cause of the tragedy was still ongoing, and bodies were still being identified. Many of the victims’ families expressed frustration over the slow release of information and delays in returning remains. Some families remained at the airport for days after the event, awaiting answers.
Severe damage sustained by the victims during the crash slowed the process of returning the bodies to their loved ones. One unnamed family member interviewed by CNN said, “I hope my siblings, my family, can be recovered and returned to us, even if only 80% intact.”
There was little public information about the cause of the crash. However, news reports confirmed that a bird strike occurred, as feathers were found inside both engines. Reports also indicated that the plane requested landing from the opposite direction before going dark and hitting the ground without landing gear. Experts speculated that the aircraft experienced a major malfunction, leading to multiple issues that contributed to the deadly crash.
Federal investigators from the United States were dispatched to assist with the investigation, which was expected to take at least a year. Black boxes recovered from the site were expected to provide valuable insight into what occurred on the Jeju Air flight, as communication with the control tower was lost four minutes before the explosion.
Veterans in the industry questioned the placement of the concrete barrier about 800 feet from the end of the runway, with many saying it was not within regulation.
David Learmount, air safety expert, told BBC News that had the obstruction not been present, a majority of passengers would likely have survived.
The ongoing investigation was likely to prompt significant changes in aviation, as a series of crashes occurred within a few months. Recent crashes included three in Texas on Dec. 11, 14 and 16, 2024, as well as a crash on Dec. 25 in Kazakhstan, where a plane was shot down by Russia, killing 38. The most recent occurred in Fullerton, California, only 30 miles from California Baptist University, killing a father and daughter and leaving many others injured.
