Did bird strike cause deadly crash? Experts question theory after 179 killed

Experts are now wondering why fire trucks were not at the scene in time, why the plane landed so far down the runway and why it showed no sign of slowing down as it came in to land.

South Korean officials are investigating the cause of the crash, including whether a bird strike was involved.

They recovered the flight data recorder and later found the cockpit voice recorder, which they will use to gather key information about the plane’s systems and the events leading up to the crash.

While a bird strike warning was issued after the plane’s mayday call and footage emerged online showing what appeared to be birds striking the engine, it is unclear if this was the primary cause of the disaster.

Experts from Airline News say a bird strike is unlikely to have caused the landing gear failure, as bird strikes rarely cause a crash. Some also noted the plane’s failure to slow down after landing as a mystery.

Geoffrey Dell, an Australian airline safety expert, told Reuters: “I’ve never seen a bird strike prevent the landing gear from being extended.”

Trevor Jensen, an Australian aviation consultant, also explained to Reuters that emergency services are typically prepared for a belly landing.

Choi Kee-young, a professor from from Inha University, told South Korea’s Yonhap news agency: “If you look at the video, the landing gear didn’t extend, and the plane crashed with very little loss of speed.

“An airplane has multiple brakes, and if the landing gear doesn’t work, the reverse-propelled engines lift the wing flaps, which act as air brakes. But they didn’t seem to have worked in this case.”

Joo Jong-Wan, South Korea’s deputy transport minister, said the runway’s 2800m length was not a contributing factor, and that walls at the ends were built to industry standards.

‘Very rare and very unusual’

Christian Beckert, a flight safety expert and Lufthansa pilot, said the video footage suggested that aside from the reversers, most of the plane’s braking systems were not activated, creating a “big problem” and a fast landing.

Beckert said a bird strike was unlikely to have damaged the landing gear while it was still up, and that if it had happened when it was down, it would have been hard to raise again.

“It’s really, really very rare and very unusual not to lower the gear, because there are independent systems where we can lower the gear with an alternate system,” he added.

Kim Kyu-wang, the director of Hanseo University Flight Education Center, told Yonhap that a bird strike could have caused the landing gear to malfunction. “If birds fly into the engine, it can damage the engine and affect the hydraulic system connected to it,” he said.

“The hydraulic system raises and lowers the landing gear during takeoff and landing, and that part may have been damaged.”

Bird strikes have been a major concern for airports and aviation agencies for years. In the US, wildlife strikes cause more than $900 million in damage to aircraft each year and have resulted in more than 250 fatalities since 1988.

Data from the US Federal Aviation Administration and agriculture department show that bird strikes on planes are becoming more frequent.

From 1990 to 2023, there were 296,613 wildlife strikes globally, most of which were bird strikes. In 2023 alone, 19,603 strikes were recorded with 3.6% causing damage.

Bird strikes are especially dangerous during take-off and landing when aircraft are at low altitudes and most vulnerable.

To reduce the risks, airports normally implement several strategies, such as adjusting flight schedules to avoid peak bird activity, managing nearby habitats to deter birds, and using non-lethal methods like bird hazing or removal.

Radar systems are also used to detect bird activity along flight paths, providing pilots with key information to avoid potential hazards. Efforts to reduce bird strikes have been implemented at many airports since the 1990s.

These measures include US$400 million in wildlife-related projects across the US as well as research funds dedicated to improving wildlife hazard management since the “Miracle on the Hudson” incident in 2009, which was caused by the collision with a flock of Canada geese.

Chesley Sullenberger, the pilot, was famously able to bring the aircraft down on the Hudson River in New York City.

South Korea’s aviation industry has a solid track record for safety, experts say.

This is the first fatal accident in the history of Jeju Air, one of South Korea’s largest low-cost carriers, which was set up in 2005.

On August 12, 2007, a Bombardier Q400 operated by Jeju Air carrying 74 passengers came off the runway due to strong winds at the southern Busan-Gimhae airport, resulting in a dozen injuries.

– with Agence France-Presse