What happened
On the morning of December 29, 2024, a Jeju Air flight originating from Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Thailand was preparing to land at Muan International Airport. While the crew was approaching runway 01, air traffic control issued a warning regarding bird activity in the vicinity. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft entered a go-around maneuver and issued multiple emergency declarations, reporting a bird strike.
During the aborted landing attempt, the aircraft transitioned to align with runway 19. The Boeing 73 and 800, registered as HL8088, impacted the ground with its landing gear retracted. The aircraft performed a belly landing, overran the runway, and struck an embankment containing localizer equipment. The impact caused the aircraft to burst into flames and resulted in 179 Fatal and 2 Serious Injury.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage, which showed significant destruction, including the engines being buried in an embankment mound and the fuselage scattering across a wide area. The investigation confirmed that both engines contained feathers and biological traces, which DNA analysis identified as belonging to Baikal Teals.
Technical analysis of the flight recorders revealed that both the CVR and FDR ceased recording at 08:58:50, approximately four minutes before the final impact with the embankment. This gap in data means the final moments of the flight's descent and impact were not captured by the onboard systems. The investigation is being conducted with international assistance from the NTSB and BEA.