2 Flight Attendants Were Sole Survivors of Plane Crash That Killed 179, Authorities Say

Jeju Air flight 7C2216 caught fire “while landing” at Muan International Airport on Dec. 29, according to airline CEO Kim E-bae

The scene where a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 series aircraft crashed and burst into flames is seen at Muan International Airport in Muan, some 288 kilometres southwest of Seoul on December 30, 2024. . Photo: JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty

Two flight attendants are the only people to survive the fatal plane crash in South Korea that left 179 people dead.

Jeju Air flight 7C2216 caught fire “while landing” at Muan International Airport at around 9:03 a.m. local time on Sunday, Dec. 29, according to a translated statement from airliner CEO Kim E-bae on Instagram.

The plane, carrying 181 people — 175 passengers and six crew members — was traveling from Bangkok when it “veered off the runway” after landing and “collided” with a concrete fence at the airport, local police and firefighters said, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap and CNN.

Only two crew members, both flight attendants, survived the crash, Yonhap reported.

Recovery teams work at the scene where a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 series aircraft crashed and burst into flames at Muan International Airport in Muan, some 288 kilometres southwest of Seoul on December 30, 2024.JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty

One survivor, a 33-year-old flight attendant, was reportedly being treated at Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital.

At a press conference, hospital director Ju Woong said the man is “fully able to communicate” and that “there’s no indication yet of memory loss or such.”

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According to Ju, the man told doctors, “When I woke up, I had already been rescued.”

A second flight attendant, 25, was being treated at Asan Medical Center, per Yonhap. She is said to be in stable condition with ankle and head injuries.

Muan fire chief Lee Jeong-Hyun said the incident is believed to have been caused by a “bird strike combined with adverse weather conditions” according to The Guardian. The exact cause, he added, “will be announced following a joint investigation.”

“I would like to express my deepest condolences and apology to the passengers and their families,” E-bae said in the airline’s statement.

“Currently, the cause of the accident is difficult to estimate and we have to wait for the official investigation of the relevant government agency,” he continued. “As a CEO, I feel the responsibility regardless of the cause of the accident … [Jeju Air] will do our best to find out the cause of the accident with the government.”