"Exactly the Same Exterior Wall Collision"... Muan Airport Training Video from One Year Ago Revisited

Landing Gear Malfunction, Outer Wall Collision, and Fire
Many Similarities to the Accident

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety uploaded a training video simulating an aircraft accident in December last year. YouTube channel 'Safe Korea Training'

In the tragic incident involving a Jeju Air passenger plane at Muan International Airport that resulted in 179 deaths, a video from one year ago showing a training exercise simulating the same situation is gaining renewed attention.

On the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's YouTube channel 'Safe Korea Training,' a video of a disaster drill conducted last December was uploaded. According to the video, the training simulated a scenario on October 26, 2023, around 3 p.m. at Muan Airport in Mangun-myeon, where a Sky Airlines B737 flight 123 experienced a landing gear malfunction during landing, causing the plane to veer off the runway, collide with the exterior wall of a building, and catch fire.

The training footage showed many similarities to the recent accident, including landing gear failure, collision with the outer wall, and fire. Additionally, the passenger plane featured in the video was the same Boeing 737 model involved in the accident. The video has since attracted over 80,000 views and is drawing significant public interest.

Firefighters are searching for fuel items at the site of the Jeju Air passenger plane collision and explosion accident that occurred 30 days ago at Muan International Airport in Jeonnam. Photo by Kang Jin-hyeong

Meanwhile, Jeju Air flight 7C2216 attempted a belly landing (landing with the aircraft's fuselage sliding on the runway due to the landing gear not being deployed) on the runway at Muan Airport around 9:03 a.m. on the 29th, with the landing gear not extended. However, within about 10 seconds, the plane veered approximately 300 meters off the runway and collided with a concrete exterior wall. Following a loud explosion, the aircraft was severely damaged and caught fire, with most of the fuselage engulfed in flames. There were 181 people on board, including 175 passengers and 6 crew members. According to the Fire Department's tally, 179 people died and 2 were rescued. This makes the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster the deadliest aviation accident in South Korea to date.

The runway at Muan Airport where the accident occurred remains closed until 5 a.m. on January 1 of next year. The Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board's investigation team is conducting an initial on-site investigation. A Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport official stated, "The investigation period for passenger plane accidents usually takes from six months up to three years. Since multiple factors such as aircraft issues, pilot procedures, and external conditions need to be examined, it will take a considerable amount of time."