Second Jeju Air flight forced to turn back over landing gear issues just a day after 179 died in South Korea inferno
30 December 2024, 09:57 | Updated: 30 December 2024, 10:03
A second Jeju Air aircraft has been forced to turn back following landing gear issues just one day after 179 died in one of South Korean's largest aviation disasters.
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The Boeing 737-800 - the same aircraft involved in Sunday's deadly disaster - is the second Jeju Air flight to be plagued by landing gear issues in as many days.
Monday saw the aircraft's landing gear fail to engage as the flight departed Seoul's Gimpo International Airport for Jeju island.
However, the flight was forced to turn around following a landing gear issue was detected shortly after takeoff, a spokesperson for the South Korean airline said.
"Shortly after takeoff, a signal indicating a landing gear issue was detected on the aircraft's monitoring system," Song Kyung-hoon, head of management support at Jeju Air said on Monday.
"At 6.57 am, the captain communicated with ground control, and after taking additional measures, the landing gear returned to normal operation.
"However, the decision was made to return to the airport for a thorough inspection of the aircraft.
"Local media reported that 21 passengers chose not to board an alternate flight to Jeju, citing concerns over safety and other reasons."
Read more: The King and Prime Minister pay condolences to 179 victims of South Korea plane crash
Sunday's disaster saw two survivors pulled from the burning wreckage of the aircraft after its landing gear failed to engage
The incident saw the plane slide along the runway on its undercarriage as it came into land at Muan International Airport, before colliding with a concrete wall and bursting into flames with 181 people aboard.
It comes as the leader of South Korea said there'll be a review of the country's airline industry following the disaster, with officials still struggling to determine the cause of the crash.
The country's national fire agency said 85 women, 84 men and 10 others whose genders were not immediately identifiable died in the fire at the airport in the town of Muan, about 180 miles south of Seoul.
Emergency workers pulled two people, both crew members, to safety and local health officials said they remain conscious.
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The plane was a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet that was returning from Bangkok, Thailand, and the crash happened at 9.03am local time, the transport ministry reported.
New acting President Choi Sang-mok on Monday presided over a task force meeting on the crash and instructed the Transport Ministry and police to launch investigations into its cause.
He also ordered the ministry to implement an emergency review of the country's overall aircraft operation systems.
"The essence of a responsible response would be renovating the aviation safety systems on the whole to prevent recurrences of similar incidents and building a safer Republic of South Korea," said Mr Choi, who is also deputy prime minister and finance minister.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said in a statement: "I send my deepest condolences to the victims and families of those who lost their lives in the tragic plane crash in Muan.
"I pay tribute to the work of the emergency responders and my thoughts are with the people of the Republic of Korea and Thailand at this terrible time."
The King said he and the Queen will be holding the families and loved ones of those who died in their prayers.
He said: "My wife and I were profoundly saddened to learn of the horrific air accident at Muan, which resulted in such grievous loss of life.
"As the people of the Republic of Korea mourn this disaster, the families and loved ones of all the victims are in our prayers."
On Sunday morning, Foreign Secretary David Lammy posted on X, formerly Twitter: "Deeply saddened by news of the plane crash overnight in South Korea.
"My heartfelt condolences go out to the people of South Korea and Thailand, and all those that have lost loved ones."
Footage of the crash aired by YTN television showed the plane skidding across the airstrip, apparently with its landing gear still closed, and colliding head-on with a concrete wall on the outskirts of the facility.
Other local TV stations aired footage showing thick plumes of black smoke billowing from the plane, which was engulfed in flames.
Lee Jeong-hyeon, chief of the Muan fire station, told a televised briefing that the plane was destroyed, with only the tail assembly remaining recognisable among the wreckage.
