Acting President Choi Sang-mok of South Korea ordered an emergency inspection of the nation’s aviation system on Monday, one day after a Jeju Air flight crashed at Muan International Airport, killing 179 passengers.
According to the Yonhap news agency, the 179 passengers aboard aircraft 7C2216 ranged in age from 3 to 78, with the majority being in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. According to police, the remaining victims are thought to be South Korean, while two Thai nationals are among the deceased.
Shortly after 9:00 local time (00:00 GMT) on Sunday, the unfortunate aircraft went off the runway after landing and collided with a wall. The Boeing 737-800 struck the tarmac at high speed, then skidded on its belly along the runway before slamming into an embankment and exploding into flames.
The Jeju Air plane burst into flames as it crash-landed in Muan International Airport, killing all occupants except two. Additionally, another Jeju Air flight was forced to return to Seoul shortly after takeoff on Monday due to an unspecified landing-gear issue.
On Monday, the Jeju Air plane departed from Gimpo International Airport at 06:35 local time (21:35 GMT Sunday) and returned less than an hour later after realising a mechanical defect caused by the landing-gear issue, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported.
Landing gear refers to the set of wheels and other parts of the plane which supports the plane during takeoff, taxiing and landing. The aircraft that turned back was a Boeing B737-800, the same model as the one involved in the disaster on Sunday.
