‘Sinister’: Big question about plane crash in South Korea, nation’s deadliest in history

The deadly plane crash in South Korea has prompted an expert to question whether something more “sinister” was at play.

An expert has questioned whether birdstrike was the sole cause of the deadly plane crash in South Korea.

Speaking on the Today show, Aviation expert Professor Ron Bartsch said something more “sinister” could be at play.

“I suspect that the initial reports that have indicated that birdstrike or weather may have been a contributing factor, but to me, that’s pretty unlikely that a birdstrike alone would be sufficient to bring down an aircraft or to foresee landing gear not to be able to be operative,” he said, Nine reports.

Mr Bartsch added that the pilot would have known about the high risk of landing, particularly without reverse thrust or flaps available to slow the aircraft down.

“So it may have been, and this is only speculation, that there may have been something more sinister on board the aircraft that could have caused it.”

Ultimately, the plane crashed, killing 179 people in South Korea’s worst aviation disaster.

Firefighters work at the wreckage of a passenger plane at Muan International Airport on December 30, 2024 in Muan-gun, South Korea. Picture: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

This photo shows an abnormal flame coming out of the right engine of the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 series aircraft as it comes to land before crashing and bursting into flames at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, some 288 kilometres southwest of Seoul on December 29, 2024. Picture: YONHAP / AFP

‘No issues’

A standard pre-flight inspection found “no issues” with the Jeju Air passenger plane before it crashed.

Jeju Air chief executive Kim Yi-bae said that there were “no specific or unusual issues during the maintenance process” of the aircraft before the crash at Muan Airport.

“As for whether the landing gear functioned properly, that is directly related to the accident investigation, and we are not in a position to know at this time,” he told a press conference in Seoul.

The Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 was travelling from Thailand to South Korea when it crashed upon landing at Muan Airport just after 9am local time on Sunday (11am AEDT).

Jeju Air chief executive Kim E-bae (3rd-R) and other executive members bow in apology ahead of the briefing in Seoul. Picture: Yonhap/AFP

Mr Kim added that if the plane’s maintenance team didn’t sign off on its safety, it would not have been cleared for takeoff, the BBC reports.

He said its pilots were trained to regulation standards, and the company had two full flight simulators.

“We have 12.9 maintenance workers per aeroplane, which has increased from 12 in 2019,” he said.

“We have a strict maintenance checklist, it is not possible to miss things. If something was missed it would be a grave problem.”

The chief executive denied the airline having excessive flight operations, but said it would reduce its air traffic by 10 to 15 per cent this winter to be able to carry out more maintenance work on their aircraft.

He said that the airline was preparing compensation for the victims’ families, including covering the cost of funerals.

South Korea is observing seven days of mourning over the disaster. New Year celebrations were cancelled and flags are flying at half-mast.

People pay tribute to the victims of the Jeju Air plane crash during a countdown event in central Seoul before midnight on December 31, 2024. Picture: Jung Yeon-je/AFP

Officials began releasing the bodies of plane crash victims to families Tuesday.

“Of the 179 victims, the bodies of four have completed the handover procedures to their bereaved families for funerals,” transport minister Park Sang-woo said at Muan airport.

Funerals for some victims who had been identified and completed autopsies began Tuesday, he added.

One family lost nine members — including the oldest passenger on the plane, who was taking his first-ever overseas trip to celebrate his birthday, local broadcaster KBC reported.

Five of the killed passengers were children aged under 10 years old, including a three-year-old boy, was killed alongside his parents as they returned from their first family holiday overseas.

Jeju Air victims Kang Ko, 43, and his wife Jin Lee Seon, 37, and their son. Picture: Instagram

The family died in the horrific blaze. Picture: South Korean National Fire Agency via Getty Images

Footage of the crash shows the Boeing 737-800 aircraft skidding on the runway before crashing into a concrete barrier and bursting into flames.

Authorities said on Tuesday they were investigating the role of the concrete barrier in the disaster.

Officials initially pointed to a bird strike as a possible cause, but experts have also flagged the barrier, with dramatic video showing the Boeing 737-800 bursting into flames as it collides with it.

When asked whether it was permissible for the airport to have used concrete in the barrier, director-general for airport policy Kim Hong-rak said the government would “review the relevant regulations and their application”.

“Whether this structure exacerbated the damage is … something the Accident Investigation Committee plans to investigate thoroughly,” said deputy minister for civil aviation, Joo Jong-wan.

– With additional reporting from AFP.