Low-cost South Korean flight that crashed killing 179 people was warned of birdstrike during first landing attempt

A total of 179 individuals were killed, and only two survivors were rescued from the wreckage of a Jeju Air flight carrying 181 passengers from Bangkok to South Korea that crashed during landing on Dec 29.

According to officials, a Boeing 737-800 operated by low-cost airline Jeju Air was informed by the control tower of a bird attack during its initial attempt to land at Muan airport.

The aircraft had left Bangkok at approximately 9:00 am.

The pilot declared a "mayday" and made another attempt at landing a short while later. With its landing gear still retracted, the aircraft was seen on camera attempting a belly landing.

In a dramatic video, the jet skids down the runway while emitting smoke, then crashes into a wall at the end and catches fire.

The entire 175 passengers and four of the six crew members

The collision claimed the lives of four of the six crew members and all 175 passengers. Authorities reported that all of the passengers, who ranged in age from three to 78, were Korean, with two Thais.

Two flight attendants, ages 25 and 33, were saved from the wreckage by rescue workers.

Officials are looking into the possibility of a bird strike and bad weather as causes, and investigations are underway.

“It really has to be a series of catastrophic events that led to such a high loss of life,” aviation consultant Philip Butterworth-Hayes said.

He described the accident as "the most serious incident I've seen" in recent years and said that the "crash protection systems on board are extremely robust."

Kim E-bae, CEO of Jeju Air, expressed grief for the tragedy and bowed deeply in front of the country. "Regardless of the cause, I take full responsibility as the CEO," Kim said.

"We would like to express our deepest condolences and apology to the passengers and bereaved families who lost their lives in the accident. Jeju Air will make every effort to resolve the accident quickly and provide support to the passengers’ families." Kim said in a formal statement posted on social media.

One official declined the probability of a short runway, saying that similar-sized aircraft have been using the 2,800-meter (9,200-foot) runway without any problems.

According to deputy transport minister Joo Jong-wan, both black boxes—the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder—have been found.

Aircraft may be at risk from bird strikes. The United Nations organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), has warned that if birds are drawn into jets' air intakes, the aircraft may lose power.

Around the world, bird strikes have resulted in several deadly incidents.

“We're looking at substantial birds hitting an engine, and that is, as we know, very rare,” said Butterworth-Hayes.

He mentioned the well-known "Miracle on the Hudson" incident from 2009, in which a bird strike damaged both of the engines on a US Airways Airbus A320, forcing the aircraft to ditch in the Hudson River in New York. Everyone on board was able to get away.