Featured Image Credit: BBC
Topics: Travel, World News, Jeju Air
Emily Brown
Footage caught at an airport in South Korea shows the moments leading up to a plane crash which killed an estimated 167 people.
A total of 181 passengers and crew members were on board the Jeju Air plane when it came in to land at 9.03am local time at Muan Airport, about 180 miles (290km) south of Seoul, after traveling from Bangkok, Thailand today (December 29).
According to local media, the Boeing 737-800 jet was making its second attempt at returning to the ground after its landing gear failed to open, forcing it to make a crash landing.
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As the plane approached the ground, it veered off the runway and crashed into a concrete wall before bursting into flames.
A number of helicopters as well as 32 firetrucks responded to the incident, along with approximately 1,560 firefighters, police officers, soldiers and other officials.
Rescue workers have been attempting to pull people from the wreckage of the plane and two crew members have been rescued, but firefighters have said that other missing people are now presumed to have been killed.
Those confirmed dead include 79 women, 77 men and 11 others whose genders were not immediately identifiable, though the death toll is expected to rise as the recovery efforts continue.
South Korea's transport ministry has since stated that the airport's control tower warned the plane of a bird strike prior to the crash, and gave the pilot permission to land in a different area.
News1 has also reported that a passenger on board texted one of their relatives prior to the crash to say a bird had become stuck in the wing of the plane.
As per the outlet, their last message read: "Should I say my last words?"
Shortly before the plane skidded into the wall, the pilot sent out a distress signal.
Authorities have now retrieved data from the plane's black box to help offer insight into what happened when the plane went down, Sky News reports. According to Senior Transport Ministry official Joo Jong-wan, officials are still looking for the cockpit voice recording device.
Images from the site show smoke and flames engulfing the plane, which was completely destroyed in the incident. Officials have confirmed the fire has since been extinguished, but Lee Jeong-hyeon, chief of the Muan fire station, said during a televised briefing that the tail of the plane was the only recognizable part of the aircraft after the crash.