Jeju Air Flight 2216

Jeju Air Flight 2216 was a flight from Bangkok, Thailand, to Muan County, South Korea. On 29 December 2024, as the plane was landing, it hit birds, which caused problems with one of its engines.

The pilots tried to land again, but the landing gear failed. The plane crashed after hitting a structure at the end of the runway. Sadly, many people were killed in the accident, but two crew members survived because they were sitting in a part of the plane that broke away.

Investigators later found that the pilots may have turned off the wrong engine, which made the situation worse. They also found that the structure the plane hit should have been built safer.

This crash was a very serious aviation accident. It was the worst in South Korea's history and the worst for Jeju Air, the airline that operated the flight. It happened just a few months before another deadly crash, Air India Flight 171, in June 2025.

Background

The airplane involved in the incident was a Boeing 737-8AS that was made in 2009 and was 15 years old. It had two CFM International CFM56-7B26 engines and was registered as HL8088. Jeju Air began using this plane in 2017, and before that, it flew for Ryanair. Just before this flight, the plane had completed many trips to places like Muan, Jeju Island, Incheon, Beijing, Bangkok, Kota Kinabalu, Nagasaki, and Taipei. Jeju Air said the plane passed all safety checks before the flight.

There were 175 passengers on the flight, including two from Thailand and 173 from South Korea. The youngest passenger was born in 2021, and the oldest was born in 1946. Nine passengers were from the same family, which included a three-year-old child. There were also five passengers who were under the age of 10. The captain had more than 6,800 hours of flying experience, and the first officer had more than 1,600 hours. The flight also had four flight attendants. Most of the passengers were returning home after a Christmas trip to Bangkok. Some of them were government workers or officials from different areas of South Korea.

Victims

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Investigation

The crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216 is being investigated by South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB), with help from groups in the United States like the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and Boeing. Investigators arrived at the crash site on December 31, 2024.

Both flight recorders—the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR)—were recovered and taken for analysis. The ARAIB shared that both recorders stopped working four minutes before the crash, possibly due to a loss of electrical power.

On the day of the accident, a warning about birds near the airport was given to the pilots. Shortly after, the pilots reported seeing birds near the plane. Experts think a bird strike may have caused problems with the landing gear. The airport where the flight was headed, Muan International Airport, has a higher rate of bird strikes compared to other airports in South Korea. Investigators found bird feathers inside the plane’s engines, confirming that a bird strike happened.

Experts also looked at why certain parts of the plane, like the thrust reversers and wing flaps, did not work properly during the landing. Some said the pilot decided to land the plane even though it was risky because the engines were not working well. There was also concern about a solid barrier near the end of the runway that the plane hit after landing. Safety experts said such barriers should not be placed so close to runways because they can make accidents worse. Officials plan to remove the barrier and replace it with safer materials.

Aftermath

The government of South Korea declared Muan a special disaster zone and announced a period of national mourning until January 5, 2025. They set up memorial altars in cities across the country for people to show their respect. The acting president, Choi Sang-mok, ordered rescue efforts and support for families of those affected.

Many events were cancelled, and new safety measures were announced following the accident. Airlines faced increased inspections, and new rules were created to improve safety for flights. Families of the victims formed a support group and worked together during this difficult time.

Reactions

Suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol, who had been impeached earlier in the month, shared his sympathy online. Both his People Power Party and the opposition Democratic Party agreed to form a special group to look into what happened.

Jeju Air apologized publicly and stopped ticket sales for a short time. Leaders from the airline and its parent company also apologized. The airline sent many workers to help families in Muan. After the incident, fewer people chose to fly with Jeju Air.

Leaders from Thailand, several other countries, and groups like the European Union and the United Nations also shared their thoughts with families. The Boeing company expressed its condolences as well.