Experts question bird strike as cause of tragedy

Uncertainties surround the deadliest crash on South Korean soil, experts said on Dec 29 as they questioned initial suggestions that a bird strike might have taken down Jeju Air Flight 2216.

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The apparent absence of landing gear, the timing of the twin-engine Boeing 737-800's belly-landing at Muan International Airport and the reports of a possible bird strike all raised questions that could not yet be answered.

The single-aisle aircraft was seen in video broadcasts on local media skidding down the runway with no visible landing gear before slamming into a wall in an explosion of flame and debris.

"Why didn't fire tenders lay foam on the runway? Why weren't they in attendance when the plane touched down? And why did the aircraft touch down so far down the runway? And why was there a brick wall at the end of the runway?" said Airline News editor Geoffrey Thomas.

South Korean officials said they were investigating the cause of the crash, including a possible bird strike, which killed almost all the 181 people on the aircraft.

A spokesman for Jeju Air was not immediately available for comment. The airline declined to comment on the cause of the accident during news conferences, saying an investigation is under way.

Under global aviation rules, South Korea will lead a civil investigation into the crash, and it will automatically involve the National Transportation Safety Board in the US, where the plane was designed and built.