Flocks of migratory birds fly around Muan International Airport on Sunday, as a bird strike leading to an engine explosion is suspected to have been the cause of the plane crash. Newsis

The Jeju Air plane involved in the crash at Muan International Airport on Sunday received a bird strike warning from the control tower shortly before attempting to land. Just one minute after the warning, the pilot issued a mayday distress call, but the accident occurred shortly after.

During a press briefing at the Sejong Government Complex, a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport official said, "There was communication between the aircraft and the control tower regarding a bird strike warning before the crash. The exact timing will be clarified after reviewing the flight data recorder."

According to the ministry, the aircraft was attempting to land on Runway 01 when the control tower issued the bird strike warning.

Sensing imminent danger, the pilot declared mayday a minute later. The control tower redirected the plane to land on the opposite Runway 19.

Two minutes after the distress call, the pilot attempted an emergency landing without deploying the landing gear, striking safety barriers and the airport's outer wall in the process.

One of the aircraft's black boxes has already been recovered. "The flight data recorder has been retrieved by the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board. We plan to secure the cockpit voice recorder depending on the situation at the site," Joo Jong-wan, director of aviation policy of the ministry, said.

The cause of the crash is expected to be further revealed through the aircraft's black box and flight data recorder.

The aircraft had two pilots on board at the time of the accident.

The captain had logged 6,823 flight hours since taking the position in March 2019. The first officer, who assumed their current role in February 2022, had logged approximately 1,650 flight hours.

Runway length not a factor

Ministry officials emphasized that the runway length was not a contributing factor in the crash.

"The runway at Muan Airport is 2,800 meters long and has been used by both domestic and international flights in the past. It is unlikely that the runway's length caused the accident," Joo said.

In response to questions about the proximity of the runway to the outer wall potentially exacerbating the crash's impact, a ministry official said, "Both ends of the runway have safety zones with green buffer areas before reaching the outer wall. The airport is designed according to standard aviation safety guidelines, even if the wall may appear closer than it actually is."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.