The South Korean plane crash, which is widely believed to have been caused by a malfunctioning landing gear, has sparked speculation that something else may have played a role in the crash.
“This plane has a million backups. It's very safe. And a lot of people are saying that. They don't understand why this plane landed on the runway at that speed with no flaps or gears. No, there was something else at play,” aviation consultant Mike Boyd told Fox News Sunday.
“A bird hitting the engine might shut it down, but there are a lot of redundant systems in there, so it makes no sense at all. We're not in the dark, but if the runway is 9,200 feet I know there is. It's a very long runway. [the plane] It came hot and high and hot and fast. I don't know why that's a real problem. ”
Witnesses to the crash, which killed 179 people, said they saw flames coming from the plane's engine and heard an explosion, according to reports. One person said he saw a “flash” followed by smoke. Another said the plane failed to land on the first attempt and had to circle around and try to land again before crashing.
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On December 29, 2024, a Jeju Air passenger plane collided during landing at the accident site near Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do, South Korea, and fire authorities are searching for missing people and recovering the dead. There is. (Chris Jung/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
According to Yonhap News Agency, authorities are investigating the possibility of a landing gear failure caused by a bird strike that may have caused the crash.
“That plane was probably more damaged than we thought, and it may not have been just the bird strike,” Boyd added. “There could have been something else going on with that plane. We don't know, but that plane was on the runway, which was literally still going pretty hard when it hit that wall, at that high temperature. Very strange to land on.”
A Jeju Air plane skidded off the runway and crashed into a concrete fence at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, about 300 miles south of Seoul on Sunday, leaving only two survivors among the 181 people on board. It became.
Video of the accident shows the 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 plane failing to deploy its landing gear and sliding down the runway on its stomach. The collision sent black smoke billowing into the sky.
“The gears aren't extending. The flaps aren't extending either. That would indicate there was some major hydraulic failure there,” Boyd observed.
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On Sunday, December 29, 2024, the Jeju Air ticket office at Muan International Airport in Muan County, South Korea, was closed. (Sungjun Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“If there was a hydraulic failure, there is a way to lower the landing gear mechanically. That didn't happen. Until we find the cockpit voice recorder and the black box, we're going to be in the dark here.” I think this is because if you look at the previous photos it looks like there was a bird strike, but the aircraft turned to the other side of the runway, so although it was in control, it had to land at this speed or use the gear. and descended at that speed. It wasn't a crash, there was some kind of major hydraulic failure that appeared to have damaged the plane. ”
Boeing said in a statement after the incident that it had been in contact with Jeju Air regarding the flight and was “ready to provide support.”
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families who have lost loved ones, and our thoughts are with the passengers and crew,” the statement continued.
The accident is considered the worst aviation-related disaster in the country's history.
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FOX News' Sarah Rumpf-Witten, Chris Pandolfo and Landon Mion contributed to this report.
