'A Bird Struck The Wing...Can't Land,' Chilling Last Message from the ill Fated South Korea Plane Crash Victim

Moments before the catastrophic crash of Jeju Air's Boeing 737-800 at Muan International Airport, one passenger sent a haunting message: “A bird struck the wing, should I make a will?” The crash, occurring at 9:07 am (local time) on Sunday, has claimed at least 177 lives, making it the deadliest aviation disaster in South Korea’s history.

Devastating Crash at Muan Airport

The ill-fated flight, carrying 181 passengers and crew, departed from Bangkok and attempted to land in Muan when its landing gear reportedly failed to deploy. The plane skidded off the runway and collided with a concrete fence, erupting in flames. Videos circulating online show the aircraft belly-landing before veering off course and bursting into a fireball.

Heartbreaking Final Moments

A man waiting at the airport for a family member shared their chilling exchange over KakaoTalk, an instant messaging app. The passenger informed him of a bird strike and expressed concern about the landing. Just minutes later, the aircraft crashed, leaving all further attempts to contact those on board unanswered.

Muan fire chief Lee Jung-hyun confirmed that two crew members, a man and a woman, were rescued from the tail section. The remaining 179 individuals, including passengers and crew, are presumed dead. Rescue workers in protective gear scoured the crash site, which was engulfed in the smell of aviation fuel and debris.

Authorities are examining possible causes, including bird strikes and adverse weather conditions. This tragedy recalls South Korea’s last large-scale air disaster in 1997, when a Korean Airlines flight crashed in Guam, killing 228 people.

The disaster has left South Korea and the global aviation community mourning as investigators work to uncover the factors leading to this catastrophic loss.