The tragic crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216 in South Korea has drawn attention to the risks posed by bird strikes to commercial aviation. The aircraft, a Boeing 787-800, collided with a flock of birds shortly before the crew declared Mayday and attempted an emergency landing at Muan International Airport.
The aircraft, without its landing gear deployed, made a belly-flop landing and skidded across the runway before crashing into a concrete wall and bursting into flames. The crash resulted in the deaths of 179 of the 181 people on board, making it South Korea’s deadliest air disaster.
Experts suggest that while the bird strike was a contributing factor, it likely was not the sole cause of the crash. Geoffrey Thomas, editor-in-chief of Airline Ratings, highlighted the possibility of an electrical failure on the aircraft, as it stopped transmitting crucial location data after declaring Mayday.
He noted that the pilots may have been dealing with cascading failures, as the aircraft failed to deploy its flaps or landing gear. The exact cause of the failure is still unclear, but the bird strike warning from air traffic control was a key event leading up to the crash.
Jeju Air Flight 2216 Crash Highlights Bird Strike Risks and Aviation Safety Concerns
Investigation efforts are ongoing, with South Korean authorities working alongside the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, given that the aircraft was manufactured in the U.S. It is expected to take months before the full cause of the crash is determined.
While bird strikes are a common hazard in aviation, they rarely result in serious accidents. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported 19,400 wildlife strikes in the U.S. in 2023, with most incidents causing only minor damage. However, bird strikes have been linked to some serious accidents, such as the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash and the 2009 US Airways Flight 1549 incident.
Aviation experts, including Doug Drury from CQUniversity, argued that a bird strike alone should not have caused the fatal crash, especially with the pilots receiving prior warnings and the aircraft being capable of making an emergency landing.
Drury questioned the pilots’ actions, including why they failed to slow the aircraft properly during landing and why they landed in an unconventional direction and beyond the normal landing zone. He also noted that safety measures to prevent bird strikes, such as sound cannons and lasers, were not implemented at Muan International Airport, despite recommendations for such measures.
In the aftermath of the disaster, South Korea entered a seven-day period of national mourning, with flags lowered and a visit from Acting President Choi Sang-mok to the crash site. Authorities have identified the remains of 141 victims so far.
As part of the investigation, the government has ordered an emergency safety inspection of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft in the country and is considering broader aviation sector reviews to prevent future incidents. This crash has raised significant concerns about airport safety protocols and the broader safety of the aviation sector.
