Headline:
Deadly Korean Plane Crash: Bird Strike as Cause?
Subhead:
Investigation Underway After 179 Dead in Country’s Worst Aviation Disaster
Byline:
[Your Name], BBC News Indonesia
Body:
In a shocking turn of events, South Korean authorities are probing the possibility of a bird strike as a factor in the nation’s deadliest aviation disaster. A total of 179 people lost their lives when a Jeju Air plane crashed near the city of Muan on Sunday, December 29, 2024.
Air traffic controllers had issued a warning about a possible bird strike hours before the tragedy, signaling a heightened risk of collision with birds or a flock thereof. Now, investigators are working tirelessly to ascertain if the bird strike was indeed the cause of the crash, or if other factors were involved.
What is a bird strike?
A bird strike, also known as bird strike or bird aviation hazard, is a collision between a bird and an aircraft during flight. While these incidents are quite common in the aviation industry, they can be particularly dangerous as they can cause engine failure if the bird gets sucked into the engine.
Last year alone, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported over 19,600 wildlife strikes, with the majority involving birds. Indonesia, too, has witnessed several such incidents at major airports like Soekarno-Hatta, Hasanuddin, Juanda, and Hang Nadim, as well as other locations across the eastern region.
Is bird strike to blame for the Jeju Air crash?
Officials have not yet confirmed whether the Jeju Air plane collided with birds or any other wildlife. However, a passenger aboard the plane reportedly sent a message to their family stating that a bird had gotten stuck in the plane’s wing, preventing it from landing. Meanwhile, Lee Jeong-hyun, head of Muan’s fire department, suggested that both bird strike and poor weather conditions could have contributed to the crash, though the exact cause remains under investigation.
Aviation expert Chris Kingswood, who has extensive experience flying planes similar to the one involved in the crash, told BBC that while bird strikes can pose serious threats, the recorded video footage does not definitively pinpoint the cause of the crash. Kingswood noted, however, that the plane’s lack of landing gear and improperly deployed wing covers suggested that the situation may have unfolded very quickly.
Pilots are generally well-equipped to handle bird strikes, and fatalities are relatively rare. However, a crash in Alaska in 1995 resulted in 24 deaths after a plane collided with a flock of geese, and the "Miracle on the Hudson" incident in 2009 involved a plane striking a flock of geese, though all 155 passengers and crew ordeals safely.
Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) will lead the investigation into the Jeju Air crash, with assistance from South Korean and other relevant authorities.
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