Minute-by-minute breakdown of South Korea plane crash from ‘bird strike’ to mayday call & fireball that killed 179
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THE final moments of the Jeju Air jet that crashed in South Korea are being probed as officials try to solve what killed 179 people. Air crash investigators will now be looking into the moments that led up to the Boeing 737-800 to crash into a runway embankment early Sunday morning.
The disaster unfolded after a bird strike that happened as the plane came into land, a mayday call just a minute later, and the 'belly landing' that saw the plane skid across the tarmac. Here is the minute-by-minute breakdown of the plane's journey that will be investigated.
![[The plane is due to land at Muan International Airport]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/RexShutterstockTheMuanAirportplanecrashis15049084bjpg-JS960377653.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 leaves Bangkok at 4.30am Korean time to fly back to Muan International Airport in southwestern Korea. The flight is carrying 175 passengers, mostly tourists from package holidays who travelled to Thailand for Christmas. The flight will take four-and-a-half hours as it skirts the coast of China and is staffed by six crew members.
The plane arrives in South Korea on time and begins its descent towards Muan International Airport's Runway 01 from the south. The plan's altitude drops 1,000ft at 8.57pm as it comes into land, according to data from FlightRadar24. The pilot is given a bird strike warning from the air traffic control tower and permission to land in a different area to normal.
![[A white puff could be seen leaving the right jet engine]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/6f88f3c4-a2dd-449e-8a42-3a2b8e0da14e.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
A warning like this is usually issued when a large flock of birds or large birds are spotted near the aircraft. Footage caught from the ground shows the plane strike a bird with its right engine. A white plume of what looks like smoke can be seen enter the jet turbine and then get sucked through to the other side.
![[The flight's final minutes of altitude data with the blue showing its altitude drop and the yellow spike showing it accelerated hard to even back out]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/500-feet-approaching-runway-1-960401432.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
