South Korea plane crash latest: Bird strike warning issued minutes before emergency landing that killed 179 on Jeju Air flight – UK Times

A 33-year-old flight attendant from the Jeju Air plane told doctors he had already been rescued when he woke up, according to news agency Yonhap.

He was first taken to a hospital in Mokpo, about 25km (15.5 miles) south of the airport, but was later transferred to Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital in the capital.

“He’s fully able to communicate,” Mr Ju said. “There’s no indication yet of memory loss or such.”

Lee was sitting in the back of the plane and remembers touching down, but nothing after that. When he arrived at the hospital, he simply asked: “What happened?”

The survivor, who suffered multiple fractures, is receiving special care due to the risk of after-effects, including total paralysis, the news agency added.

Below, we have some key timings of the Jeju Air plane crash earlier today, according to South Korea’s transport ministry. They show local times in South Korea.

08:57 a.m. – Control tower issued a bird strike warning

08:59 a.m. – Mayday call

09:03 a.m. – Runway crash

11:30 a.m. – Flight data recorder recovered

2:24 p.m. – Cockpit voice recorder recovered

Jeon Je-young keeps playing the video of the plane with his daughter and another 180 people on board slamming into a wall and bursting into flames at a South Korean airport.

His daughter Mi-sook died on board. He still can’t believe it.

“When I saw the accident video, the plane seemed out of control,” 71-year-old Jeon told Reuters. “The pilots probably had no choice but to do it. My daughter, who is only in her mid-40s, ended up like this. This is unbelievable.”

Mi-sook was a warm-hearted child, he said. She brought some food and next year’s calendar to his house on 21 December, which became his last brief moment with her.

“She is much nicer than my son, sometimes asking me to go out for a meal,” Jeon recalled, showing his last exchanges with his daughter on his mobile phone.

Jeon’s daughter had been on her way home after travelling with friends to Bangkok for the Christmas holiday. She leaves behind a devastated family, including a husband and teenage daughter.

“The water near the airport is not deep. Here are softer fields than this cement runway. Why couldn’t the pilot land there instead?” Jeon said.

“She was almost home, so (she saw) no need to call the family (to leave any final message). She thought she was coming home,” Jeon said.

Acting South Korean President Choi Sang-mok has announced a period of national mourning over the deadly plane crash, local media reported.

“We extend our deepest condolences and sympathy to the bereaved families of those who lost their lives in this unexpected tragedy,” Choi said, according to Yonhap news agency.

He declared a seven-day national mourning period, starting Sunday, and lasting until midnight on Saturday.

The South Korean health ministry has sent funeral directors to help with funeral preparations and planned to offer professional counselling to the injured and family members of the victims, according to Yonhap news agency.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading a team of US investigators to help South Korea‘s aviation authority in its investigation of the Jeju Air crash in Muan, the agency said.

Planemaker Boeing BA.N and the Federal Aviation Administration are participating, NTSB said.

My colleague Tom Watling reports:

Sir Keir Starmer has sent his “deepest condolences” to the victims of a plane crash in South Korea which killed 179 people.

“I send my deepest condolences to the victims and families of those who lost their lives in the tragic plane crash in Muan,” the Prime Minister said.

“I pay tribute to the work of the emergency responders and my thoughts are with the people of the Republic of Korea and Thailand at this terrible time.”

The King has paid tribute to the victims of a plane crash in South Korea which claimed the lives of 179 people.

“My wife and I were profoundly saddened to learn of the horrific air accident at Muan, which resulted in such grievous loss of life,” the King said in a statement.

“As the people of the Republic of Korea mourn this disaster, the families and loved ones of all the victims are in our prayers.”