The December 29, 2024a Boeing 737-800 of the company Jeju Air (markings HL8088), in service on flight 7C-2216 from Bangkok (Thailand) a Muan (South Korea), suffered a serious accident during landing on runway 19 of Muan airport at 09:03 local. With 175 passengers And 6 crew members on boardthe plane landed with the retracted trolley, sliding on the fuselage and engines, then impacting a localizer antenna about 100 meters beyond the runway, exploding in a fireball. Only two people survived, while the death toll stands at 179.
The timeline of the accident
Muan Airport is known for frequent bird activity due to its geographical location. Below is the timeline of events:
- 08:54: Muan airport air traffic control authorizes the plane to land on runway 01;
- 08:57: Air traffic control broadcasts a “caution – bird activity” warning;
- 08:59: The pilot of flight 7C-2216 reports a bird strike, declares emergency with “Mayday Mayday Mayday” and communicates “Bird strike, bird strike, go-around”;
- 09:00: Flight 7C-2216 begins a go-around and requests clearance to land on Runway 19, using the approach from the opposite side of the airport’s single runway;
- 09:01: Air traffic control authorizes the aircraft to land on runway 19;
- 09:02: Flight 7C-2216 touches down on the runway approximately 1,200 meters (3,940 feet) beyond the start of the 2,800-meter (9,184 feet) runway;
- 09:02:34: Air traffic control alerts the airport’s fire and rescue unit with a “crash bell” signal;
- 09:02:55: Airport firefighting unit completes deployment of rescue equipment.09:03L: Flight 7C-2216 crashes into an embankment after overshooting the runway;
- 09:10: The Ministry of Transport receives an accident report from the airport authorities;
- 09:23: A man is rescued and transported to a temporary medical facility;
- 09:38: Muan airport is closed;
- 09:50: The rescue of a second person from the tail section of the plane is completed. Details of the bird strike and impact on operations.
According to initial reconstructions, the flight took place in regular manner until the final approach. ADS-B traces show that, at 08:58 local time, the aircraft was a few miles away and aligned with runway 01. Immediately afterwards, the crew declared “Mayday” due to a bird strike on the right engine, followed by a go-around. An amateur video recorded the moment of impact with the bird, which caused the compressor to stall. This phenomenon occurs when the laminar airflow within the engine is disrupted, producing strong vibrations and a loss of thrust.
From the moment of Mayday to the decision to carry out a immediate landing on the same runway in the opposite direction (runway 19), they only passed 7 minutes. This time is insufficient to manage a complex emergency of this type, which in standard circumstances follows the airport traffic circuit to have time to complete the checklist and correctly configure the aircraft. The speed with which it was necessary to act suggests that a more serious problem than what is currently known. It will only be thanks to the investigations that we will be able to fully understand the dynamics and management priorities adopted by the crew.
In situations like this, staying calm is crucial. Directing tasks in a balanced way among crew members is crucial to controlling stress and ensuring that decision-making remains as rational as possible, even under pressure. Effective distribution of tasks helps ensure that all critical aspects, from communications to the technical management of the aircraft, are managed without overwhelming the commander or first officer. However, in this case, the extremely unfavorable circumstances have probably reduced the available options.
The images confirm that the pilots managed to maneuver the plane on the runway axis, but with the landing gear retracted and the spoilers not deployed, and from the video you can see how one of the thrust reversers is active but the stop was impossible.
Why was the landing gear retracted?
There failure to extend the carriage is at the center of the investigation. Each engine of the Boeing 737 is equipped with a engine-driven hydraulic pump (EDP – Engine-Driven Pump). These pumps are the main sources of hydraulic pressure when the engines are turned on and running regularly. The EDP they are very efficient and provide constant pressure to the system. In addition, each hydraulic system is equipped with a backup electric pump (EMP – Electric Motor-Driven Pump) capable of maintaining sufficient pressure without having any type of degradation of the associated systems, such as the landing gear. Even in the event of a total hydraulic failure, it is possible to activate a manual system that uses gravity to extend the trolley. However, the video shows that hydraulic pressure was possibly present and functioning, as one of the reversers was activated correctly.
It is possible that a unexpected malfunction or a human error have prevented the carriage from extending. This could include communication problems between the crew, confusion during emergency management or an as yet unidentified technical failure. The analysis of the black boxes will be crucial to clarify this technical aspect of the systems and the human factor and identify whether there have been problems with the hydraulic system.
The impact with the localizer antenna
Once past the end of the runway, the aircraft continued 140 meters before hitting an elevated hill on which the ILS (Instrument Landing System) localizer antenna was installed. Typically, these antennas are positioned at runway level, but in some airport configurations they may be located on elevated ground to avoid signal interference. The impact occurred at 240 km/hcontributing to the devastation of the aircraft.
These design choices may raise safety questions: If the antenna had been placed at runway level, could it have reduced the force of the impact? Other airports could benefit from an overhaul of support structures to minimize risks in the event of similar incidents.
Airport security: RESA and stopways
The Muan runway is equipped with a stopway and one SURRENDER (Runway End Safety Area) designed to reduce damage in the event of going off the track. The stopway is an additional paved portion that allows the take-off or emergency stop space to be extended, while the RESA aims to minimize damage in the event of an uncontrolled runway exit.
Despite these measures, the aircraft passed both zonesimpacting the hill that supported the antenna. This raises important questions about airport design and the need to evaluate the specific risks of each infrastructure.
The importance of investigations
South Korean authorities have launched an investigation to clarify the causes of the accident. Reading the black boxes (CVR and FDR) will allow us to reconstruct the dialogues between crew members, the status of the on-board systems and the interaction with the air traffic controllers. Particular attention will be paid to human factors, including pilots’ decision-making and the effectiveness of time management during the emergency.
In parallel, ICAO could suggest a review of the guidelines for the design of airport infrastructure, including the position of localizer antennas and the minimum length of RESAs, to ensure a wider safety margin in case of similar accidents.
For further information, here is a 3D reconstruction of the accident:
