Smoke rises from the wreckage of the Jeju Air passenger plane that crashed at the Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, Dec. 29. Yonhap

A malfunction of the landing gear likely caused a passenger plane to crash at Muan International Airport on Sunday while attempting a crash landing after a failed first landing attempt, authorities said.

The Jeju Air flight, carrying a total of 181 passengers from Bangkok, was trying to land at Muan International Airport at 9:07 a.m. when it veered off the runway and collided with a fence, killing at least 122. Authorities said all others are believed to have been killed.

Airport authorities said that the flight was attempting a crash landing due to a landing gear malfunction when the crash occurred, after its first landing attempt failed.

The plane, however, appears to have failed to reduce its speed until it reached the end of the runway and crashed into the structures at the outer edge of the airport, the authorities said.

The crash significantly damaged the plane, resulting in a fire.

Witnesses cited signs that the plane's landing gear, such as tires, remained unactivated, possibly sending it to attempt a crash landing, with a bird collision presumed to be the cause of the malfunction. (Yonhap)