Barbados fishing industry still reeling from hurricane aftermath

Will Grant

BBC
Mexico, Central America and Cuba Correspondent
Reporting from Bridgetown, Barbados

Hurricane Beryl took its toll on the island's fishing fleet

There are few clearer signs of the destructive power that Hurricane Beryl unleashed on Barbados in July than the scene at the temporary boatyard in the capital, Bridgetown.

Scores of mangled and cracked vessels sit on stacks, gaping holes in their hulls, their rudders snapped off and cabin windows broken.

Yet these were the lucky ones.

At least they can be repaired and put back out to sea. Many others sank, taking entire family incomes with them.

When Beryl lashed Barbados, the island's fishing fleet was devastated in a matter of hours. About 75% of the active fleet was damaged, with 88 boats totally destroyed.

Charles Carter, who owns a blue-and-black fishing vessel called Joyce, was among those affected.

"It's been real bad, I can tell you. I had to change both sides of the hull, up to the waterline," he says, pointing at the now pristine boat in front of us.

It has taken months of restoration and thousands of dollars to get it back to this point, during which time Charles has barely been able to fish.

"That's my living, my livelihood, fishing is all I do," he says.

"The fishing industry is mash up," echoes his friend, Captain Euride. "We're just trying to get back the pieces."
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Charles Carter has no other livelihood but fishing


Now, six months after the storm, there are signs of calmer waters. On a warm Saturday, several repaired vessels were put back into the ocean with the help of a crane, a trailer and some government support.

Seeing Joyce back on the water is a welcome sight for all fishermen in Barbados.

But Barbadians are acutely aware that climate change means more active and powerful Atlantic hurricane seasons - and it may be just another year or two before the fishing industry is struck again. Beryl, for example, was the earliest-forming Category 5 storm on record.

Few understand the extent of the problem better than the island's Chief Fisheries Officer, Dr Shelly Ann Cox.

"Our captains have been reporting that sea conditions have changed," she explains. "Higher swells, sea surface temperatures are much warmer and they're having difficulty getting flying fish now at the beginning of our pelagic season."
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A crane was used to get the repaired vessels back in the sea


The flying fish is a national symbol in Barbados and a key part of the island's cuisine. But climate change has been harming the stocks for years.

At the Oistins Fish Market in Bridgetown, flying fish are still available, along with marlin, mahi-mahi and tuna, though only a handful of stalls are open.

At one of them, Cornelius Carrington, from the Freedom Fish House. fillets a kingfish with the speed and dexterity of a man who has spent many years with a fish knife in his hands.

"Beryl was like a surprise attack, like an ambush," says Cornelius, in a deep baritone voice, over the market's chatter, reggae and thwack of cleavers on chopping boards.

Cornelius lost one of his two boats in Hurricane Beryl. "It's the first time a hurricane has come from the south like that, normally storms hit us from the north," he said.

Although his second boat allowed him to stay afloat financially, Cornelius thinks the hand of climate change is increasingly present in the fishermen's fate.

"Right now, everything has changed. The tides are changing, the weather is changing, the temperature of the sea, the whole pattern has changed."

The effects are also being felt in the tourism industry, he says, with hotels and restaurants struggling to find enough fish to meet demand each month.
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Dr Shelly Ann Cox is well aware of the effects of climate change


For Dr Shelly Ann Cox, public education is key and, she says, the message is getting through.

"Perhaps because we are an island and we're so connected to the water, people in Barbados can speak well on the impact on climate change and what that means for our country," she says.

"I think if you speak to children as well, they're very knowledgeable about the topic."

To see for myself, I visited a secondary school – Harrison College – as a member of a local NGO, the Caribbean Youth Environmental Network (CYEN), talked to members of the school's Environmental Club about climate change.

The CYEN representative, Sheldon Marshall, is an energy expert who quizzed the pupils about greenhouse gases and the steps they could take at home to help reduce carbon emissions on the island.

"How can you, as young people in Barbados, help make a difference on climate change?" he asked them.
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The pupils at Harrison College are concerned for the future


Following an engaging and lively debate, I asked the pupils how they felt about Barbados being on the front line of global climate change, despite having only a small carbon footprint itself.

"Personally, I take a very pessimistic view," said 17-year-old Isabella Fredricks.

"We are a very small country. No matter how hard we try to change, if the big countries – the main producers of pollution like America, India and China – don't make a change, everything we do is going to be pointless."

Her classmate, Tenusha Ramsham, is slightly more optimistic.

"I think that all great big leaps in history were made when people collaborated and innovated," she argues. "I don't think we should be completely disheartened because research, innovation, creating technology and education will ultimately lead to the future that we want."

"I feel if we can communicate to the global superpowers the pain that we feel seeing this happen to our environment," adds 16-year-old Adrielle Baird, "then it would help them to understand and help us collaborate to find ways to fix the issues that we're seeing."

For the island's young people, their very futures are at stake. Rising sea levels now pose an existential threat to the small islands of the Caribbean.

It is a point on which the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, has become a global advocate for change – urging greater action over an impending climate catastrophe in her speech at COP29 and calling for economic compensation from the world's industrialised nations.
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Steven Bourne has had to put off his retirement


On its shores and in its seas, it feels like Barbados is under siege - dealing with issues from coral bleaching to coastal erosion. While the impetus for action comes from the island's youth, it is the older generations who have borne witness as the changes unfold.

Steven Bourne has fished the waters around Barbados his whole life and lost two boats in Hurricane Beryl. As we look out at the coastline from a dilapidated beach-hut bar, he says the island's sands have shifted before his very eyes.

"It's an attack from the elements. You see it taking the beaches away, but years ago you'd be sitting here, and you could see the water's edge coming upon the sand. Now you can't because the sand's built up so much."

By coincidence, in the same bar where I chatted to Steven was Home Affairs Minister Wilfred Abrahams, who has responsibility for national disaster management.

I put it to him that it must be a a difficult time for disaster management in the Caribbean.

"The whole landscape has changed entirely," he replied. "Once upon a time, it was rare to get a Category Five hurricane in any year. Now we're getting them every year. So the intensity and the frequency are cause for concern."

Even the duration of the hurricane season has changed, he says.

"We used to have a rhyme that went: June, too soon; July, standby; October, all over," he tells me. Extreme weather events like Beryl have rendered such an idea obsolete.

"What we can expect has changed, what we've prepared for our whole lives and what our culture is built around has changed," he adds.

Fisherman Steven Bourne had hoped to retire before Beryl. Now, he says, he and the rest of the islanders have no choice but to keep going.

"Being afraid or anything like that don't make no sense. Because there's nowhere for we to go. We love this rock. And we will always be on this rock."

Algeria demands France to admit its colonial crimes

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune launched a critique against France, demanding recognition of its colonial crimes and condemning the lasting impacts of French rule in Algeria.



AP

Algerian president Abdelmadjid Tebboune delivers a speech during an inauguration ceremony in the presidential palace, in Algiers, Algeria, on Dec. 19, 2019. / Photo: AP


Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune launched a strong critique on Sunday against France over the lingering effects of its colonial rule on his country.

This came during a speech delivered before both chambers of parliament addressing the nation in which he presented the achievements of his first presidential term from 2019-2024 and outlined his agenda for his second term, which began in September, according to an Anadolu correspondent.

Tebboune said Algeria demands that France acknowledge its crimes committed during the colonial period from 1830-1962, emphasizing that the country seeks no material compensation.

"We are pursuing the dignity of our ancestors," he said.

"The number of Algerian martyrs throughout the 132 years of colonisation is 5.6 million, and no amount of money can compensate for the loss of even one martyr during the resistance or armed struggle,” he stressed.

'Genocidal'

The remarks came amid a severe political crisis between Algeria and France which led to the withdrawal of Algeria's ambassador and the summoning of the French ambassador.

Algerian authorities attributed this escalation to "hostile acts committed by French foreign intelligence on Algerian soil."

Tebboune also recalled the atrocities committed by the French colonial army, particularly under General Thomas Robert Bugeaud, governor-general of Algeria from 1841-1847, whom he described as "genocidal."

He reiterated his commitment to addressing the colonial-era files with France and pointed out that France continues to hold 500 skulls of Algerians who were decapitated in the 19th century and taken to Paris.

"We have only managed to recover 24 skulls so far," he noted.

On the domestic front, Tebboune announced plans to launch a dialogue with political parties early next year "to strengthen state independence and bolster internal unity."

He said the dialogue, for which an exact start date was not specified, would be "inclusive and deep," culminating in the introduction of new laws governing political parties and associations

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How India's food shortage filled American libraries


Soutik Biswas
India correspondent•@soutikBBC

India used local currency to buy US grain, later funding book purchases for US universities.

In 1996, Ananya Vajpeyi, a history doctoral student, discovered the fabled South Asia collection of books at the University of Chicago's Regenstein Library.

"I've spent time in some of the leading South Asia libraries of the world, at Oxford and Cambridge, Harvard and Columbia. But nothing has ever matched the unending riches held at the University of Chicago," Ms Vajpeyi, now a visiting professor at India's Ashoka University, told me.

The 132-year-old University of Chicago houses more than 800,000 volumes related to South Asia, making it one of the world's premier collections for studies on the region. But how did such a treasure trove of South Asian literature end up there?

The answer lies in a programme called PL-480, a US initiative launched in 1954 under Public Law 480, also known as the Food for Peace, a hallmark of Cold War diplomacy.

Signed into law by President Dwight D Eisenhower, PL-480 allowed countries like India to buy US grain with local currency, easing their foreign exchange burden and reducing US surpluses. India was one of the largest recipients of this food aid, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s when it faced severe food shortages.

The local currency funds were provided at minimal cost to participating US universities. These funds were used to purchase local books, periodicals, phonograph records, and "other media" in multiple Indian languages, enriching collections at over two dozen universities. Institutions like the University of Chicago became hubs for South Asian studies as a result. (Manuscripts were excluded due to Indian antiquity laws.)


The University of Chicago's Regenstein Library was a major beneficiary of the PL-480 programme


"PL-480 has had amazing and unexpected consequences for the University of Chicago and for more than 30 other US collections," James Nye, director of the Digital South Asia library at University of Chicago, told the BBC.

The process of building an impressive library collection from South Asia was no simple task.

A special team staffed by 60 Indians was established in Delhi in 1959. Initially focused on picking up government publications, the programme expanded over five years to include books and periodicals. By 1968, 20 US universities were receiving materials from the growing collection, as noted by Maureen LP Patterson, a leading bibliographer of South Asian studies.

In a paper published in 1969, Patterson recounted that in the early days of the PL-480, the team in India faced the challenge of sourcing books from a vast, diverse country with an intricate network of languages.

They needed the expertise of booksellers with a reputation for good judgement and efficiency. Given India's size and the complexity of its literary landscape, no single dealer could handle the procurement on their own, Patterson, who died in 2012, wrote.

Instead, dealers were selected from various publishing hubs, each focusing on specific languages or groups of languages. This collaboration worked seamlessly, with dealers sending titles they were not certain about for approval. The final selection rested with the Delhi office, Patterson noted.

University of Chicago Photographic Archive
A file picture of the reading room of the Joseph Regenstein Library


The programme was keen on picking up a comprehensive collection of Indian fiction in all languages. "The policy netted a huge number of detective stories and novels of no lasting value," wrote Patterson.

In 1963, the choice for acquiring books was narrowed down to "research level material" - and intake of fiction in many languages was halved. By 1966, more than 750,000 books and periodicals were sent to American universities from India, Nepal and Pakistan, with India contributing more than 633,000 items.

"We've sent works like History of India from 1000 to 1770 AD, Handicrafts in India, Hindu Culture and Personality: A Psychoanalytic Study, and more," a report on a meeting in an US library on the programme in 1967 said.

Todd Michelson-Ambelang, librarian for South Asian studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, wonders if vast collections from the region in US and other Western libraries took away literary resources from the Indian sub-continent.

Founded during Cold War tensions and funded by PL-480, his university's South Asia centre grew its library to more than 200,000 titles by the 21st Century.

Mr Michelson-Ambelang told the BBC that the removal of books from South Asia through programmes like PL-480 "creates knowledge gaps", as researchers from there often need to travel to the West to access these resources.

It is unclear whether all the books acquired by US universities from India at that time are still available there. According to Maya Dodd, of India's FLAME University, many books now unavailable in India can be found in the University of Chicago's library collections, all marked with the stamp saying "PL-480".

"For the most part, books that came through the PL-480 programme are still available in South Asia. But preservation is often a challenge due to white ants, pests, and a lack of temperature and humidity control. In contrast, most materials in the West remain well-preserved thanks to the preservation and conservation efforts in our libraries," Mr Michelson-Ambelang says.
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Ananya Vajpayee
'Unmatched riches at UChicago,' says Ananya Vajpeyi, pictured at the university in 1996


Another reason why Mr Michelson-Ambelang calls the Western libraries colonial archives "partly is because they serve academics, often excluding those outside their institutions. While librarians understand the disparities in access to South Asian materials, copyright laws limit sharing, reinforcing these gaps".

So, what happened when the PL-480 programme ended?

Mr Nye says the end of the programme in the 1980s, shifted the financial burden to American libraries. "Libraries in the US have had to pay for the selection, acquisition, collection, and delivery of resources," he said. For example, the University of Chicago now spends more than $100,000 annually on buying books and periodicals through the Library of Congress field office in Delhi.

Ms Vajpeyi believes the books-for-grain deal had a positive outcome. She studied Sanskrit, but her research in University of Chicago spanned Indian and European languages - French, German, Marathi, and Hindi - and touched on linguistics, literature, philosophy, anthropology, and more. "At the Regenstein Library, I never failed to find the books I needed or get them quickly if they weren't already there," she says.

"The books are safe, valued, accessible and used. I've visited libraries, archives and institutions in every part of India and the story in our country is universally dismal. Here they were lost or destroyed or neglected or very often made inaccessible."

From secret society to karaoke club: Malaysia’s Chinese clan associations fight to stay relevant

Lu Wei Hoong
The Straits Times.

Dec 30, 2024

TAIPING – As the sun dipped below the horizon, the Tsen Loong Association premises in the sleepy-hollow town of Taiping, Perak, came alive.

From the karaoke room emerged snatches of a classic Hakka dialect song, crooned by a handful of middle-aged men. Meanwhile, in the courtyard of the 146-year-old building, a dozen women practised a dance for the clan association’s upcoming anniversary dinner.

These refined activities are a far cry from the clan’s violent roots in secret societies, also known as kongsis. These rival societies first emerged in Malaysia in the 1800s to provide jobs, shelter and protection for thousands of workers who flocked from southern China to the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia to work in flourishing tin mines.

Two major kongsis – Hai San, run by Hakka Chinese, and Ghee Hin, representing Cantonese Chinese – fought over water resources and tin-mining rights in Taiping, then known as Larut. The bloodshed ended with the Pangkor Treaty of 1874, which saw the British intervening to resolve the conflict. This marked the beginning of British colonial rule over the Malay states.

Over time, a stronger colonial government and police force gradually disarmed the kongsis. In a symbolic move, the British renamed Larut town Taiping, which in Mandarin means everlasting peace.

This peace transformed the former secret societies into more than 10,000 local clan associations today that focus on social activities, community welfare and cultural traditions. These are largely grouped around different Chinese dialects, namely Kwang Tong or Cantonese, Hokkien, Teochew, Hainan, Hakka, Kwangsi and Sanjiang.

Assistant Professor Pek Wee Chuen of New Era University College attributed low youth participation to a weaker sense of community and connection to ancestral roots, unlike the first generation of migrants.

“Being born in Malaysia, most clan members – especially the younger generation – don’t have any emotional ties to China. This has led to a succession crisis within these clans,” Dr Pek, an expert in the history of Malaysia’s Chinese clan associations, told The Straits Times.

Mr Goh T.C., president of the Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia, which represents more than 10,000 clans nationwide, also lamented that the movement of youth to larger cities and overseas is one reason why clan associations in smaller towns are struggling with youth participation.

Before Malaysia gained independence in 1957, clan associations played larger roles in the community by acting as job recruitment centres, for example, or operating Chinese vernacular schools. Such roles have now been largely taken over by the federal government.

As a result, these associations had to shift focus, with some pivoting to business, politics and even sports.

In November 2024, the Federation of Hokkien Associations of Malaysia hosted the World Fujian Convention-Trade Exhibition, a business match-making event which drew 10,000 Hokkien-descendant attendees worldwide to downtown Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, Taiping’s Tsen Loong Association relies on rent from properties bequeathed by its founder Chung Keng Quee in the late 19th century to fund its scholarships and cultural events.

The 1,100-member association has an annual revenue of between RM250,000 (S$76,000) and RM280,000, mainly from rental income of its bazaar and seven commercial properties in Taiping, according to the association’s honorary secretary Tan Chee Fatt.

“These funds will go to subsidise events for Qing Ming (ancestor worship) and the Hungry Ghost Festival. It’s free for members aged 70 years old and above. Others pay RM40 each and the association will subsidise another RM20,” Mr Tan, 82, told ST.

Some clans are involved in the business of death – by offering cemetery, columbarium and funeral home services

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One of Malaysia’s largest cemeteries, the Kuala Lumpur Kwang Tong Cemetery, run by the KL Cantonese clan, has housed more than 200,000 graves and 100,000 columbaria since its establishment in 1895. It is still expanding to accommodate more demand.

Meanwhile, it was young blood at the Taiping Hokkien Association who reformed how it marketed columbaria and reduced its oversupply of 3,800 unsold units as at 2019.

“I suggested offering a 10 per cent commission to agents to stimulate sales,” said 37-year-old Tan Kian Kee, who has been honorary secretary of the Taiping Hokkien Association since 2019

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Taiping Hokkien Association honorary secretary Tan Kian Kee spearheaded the digitalization of meeting minutes and asset records to improve management efficiency.

ST PHOTO: LU WEI HOONG

This move resulted in sales of more than 1,000 units over the past five years, he said.

Clan associations can also act as a training ground for community service and a source of grassroots support for aspiring politicians.

Mr Teh Kok Lim, Taiping’s representative to the Perak state assembly and Parliament since 2013, began his political career with the Taiping Hin Aun Association, a subset of the Taiping Hokkien Association.

“I was very active in the youth section of the Hin Aun Association back then. A colleague encouraged a few of us to join politics before the 2008 General Election. As a local, I sensed the strong sense of unity within the clan and made it a point to attend their events,” the 54-year-old said.

The network of clan associations played a crucial role during the Covid-19 pandemic, said another Perak lawmaker, Ms Sandrea Ng.

“I contacted the local Kochow Association and Tseng Lung Fui Kuon to inform residents about the time and location of vaccination events. I also requested their assistance in sharing information about Covid-19-related welfare and assistance,” the two-term Gopeng state representative said.

Over in Selangor state, clan associations are investing in sports to keep in touch with younger members. Notably, the Selangor Cheras Hokkien Association has been nurturing players for Malaysia’s national basketball team from as far back as 2001, when it launched a major fund-raising campaign to raise RM471,950 to build a covered basketball court in the new village of Cheras Batu 11

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An association member, Mr Poh Kok Ann, said the clan has provided transport allowances and purchased sports equipment for more than 30 players who have joined the national team.

“We produced the ‘Five Tigers of Cheras’ for Malaysia’s team in the South-east Asia tournaments (from 2004 to 2011),” said the 35-year-old, speaking to ST while a group of teenagers practised on the court

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Despite these efforts, the future of Chinese clans remains challenging, said Dr Tee Beng Lee, head of public communication at the Centre for Malaysian Chinese Studies.

“The youth have little interest in the dinners or old-school activities organised by committees dominated by senior members,” he said.

New Era University College’s Dr Pek also expressed concern, noting that the ageing of clan committees and the declining enthusiasm for youth participation could lead to the demise of 80 per cent of existing clans

.

“Most of them will fade away. Only 20 per cent may survive, depending on how well the association attracts youth,” he said.

While commending the efforts of Chinese clans, social media manager Ong Jie Yee, 26, said the associations should have a stronger presence on social media to attract the younger generation.

“We are all Gen Z, but I don’t think we’ve even brought the (Chinese clan) into our conversations, as it’s not even present on TikTok, Instagram or Xiaohongshu. Having a better social media presence is crucial for engaging younger audiences,” she said.

Lu Wei Hoong is Malaysia correspondent at The Straits Times. He loves to travel and discover hidden gems of stories.

More on this Topic

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Clan associations need to attract young talent, renew leadership: PM Wong

Azerbaijan president decries Russian ‘lies’ surrounding the crashed plane

“Unfortunately, in the first three days we heard only absurd versions from Russia,” the president Ilham Aliyev said. He added that he wanted Russia to accept it was guilty of downing the plane and to punish those responsible.

People lay flowers in memory of the victims of the Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 plane crash in Kazakhstan, at an airport outside Baku, Azerbaijan, 26 December 2024. [EPA-EFE/STRINGER]

Euractiv.com with Reuters Dec 30, 2024 

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Sunday (29 December) that a passenger plane that crashed last week, killing 38 people, had been damaged by accidental shooting from the ground in Russia, adding that some in Russia had lied about the cause of the disaster.

Russian President Vladimir Putin apologised on Saturday to Aliyev for Wednesday's "tragic incident" in Russian airspace involving Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J2-8243 after Russian air defences engaged Ukrainian attack drones.


Putin apologises to Azerbaijan over 'tragic' airliner crash

The extremely rare publicised apology from Putin was the closest Moscow had come to accepting some blame for Wednesday's disaster.

A Kremlin statement did not say Russia had shot down the plane, only noting a criminal case had been opened.

"Our plane was shot down by accident," Aliyev said on state television on Sunday, adding that the plane had come under some sort of electronic jamming and had then been shot at while it was approaching the southern Russian city of Grozny.

The pilots, who died in the crash, have been lauded in Azerbaijan for a landing that allowed 29 people to survive.

"Unfortunately, in the first three days we heard only absurd versions from Russia," Aliyev said, citing statements in Russia that attributed the crash to a bird strike or the explosion of some sort of gas cylinder.

"We witnessed clear attempts to cover up the matter," said the Azerbaijani leader, who has close ties to Russia and was educated at one of Moscow's top universities.

Aliyev said he wanted Russia to accept it was guilty of downing the plane and to punish those responsible.
The extremely rare publicised apology from Putin on Saturday is the closest Moscow has come to accepting some blame for the disaster.Putin and Aliyev held another telephone call on Sunday, the Kremlin said. It gave no details but on Saturday it said that both civilian and military specialists were being questioned about what had taken place.

The chief of Russia's Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, on a phone call assured Azerbaijan's prosecutor general that Moscow had assigned the investigation to the most experienced experts and that actions were being taken to establish the cause and circumstances of the incident.

The plane crashed on Wednesday near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from southern Russia where Ukrainian drones were attacking several cities at the time, according to the Kremlin.

Russia's state-owned TASS news agency quoted Kazakhstan's Transport Ministry as saying authorities would send the two black box flight recorders to Brazil, where the Embraer E190 passenger jet was manufactured.

Four sources with knowledge of the preliminary findings of Azerbaijan's investigation into the disaster told Reuters on Thursday that Russian air defences had mistakenly shot it down.

Burials  

Azerbaijan paid tribute on Sunday to the pilots and passengers of the plane.

Captain Igor Kshnyakin and co-pilot Alexander Kalyaninov, both ethnic Russians with Azerbaijan citizenship, and Hokuma Aliyeva, a flight attendant, were given full honours at a ceremony at the Alley of Honour in central Baku attended by Aliyev and his wife, Mehriban.

"The pilots were experienced and knew they would not survive this crash landing," Aliyev said, praising them for sacrificing themselves.

"In order to save the passengers, they acted with great heroism and as a result of this, there were survivors," he said.

Aliyev awarded the crew posthumously with the titles of National Hero of Azerbaijan.

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also awarded citizens who helped rescue the survivors, including emergency workers, medics, police and employees at the airport and a local power company.

The Embraer jet had flown from Azerbaijan's capital Baku to Grozny, in Russia's southern Chechnya region, before veering off hundreds of miles across the Caspian Sea.

Azerbaijan's presidential office said the pilots had battled to control the plane - desperately trying to find a place to land.

With holes in the fuselage, some crew injured, and a de-pressurised cabin, the pilots managed to fly across the Caspian Sea before crash-landing.

The Alley of Honour is Azerbaijan's most sacred modern burial ground - where prominent politicians, poets and scientists are laid to rest, including Heydar Aliyev, father of the current president.

Captain Kshnyakin's daughter, Anastasia Kshnyakina, said her father was a dedicated pilot who took his responsibilities to his passengers extremely seriously.

"My father always said: when I take off, I am responsible not only for my life, but also for the lives of all passengers and crew members," Kshnyakina said.

"With his last flight, he proved what a true hero should be."

Azerbaijan president says Russia shot at its plane, lied about cause of crash

ByNailia Bagirova and Anton Kolodyazhnyy
December 30, 2024
REUTERS

Baku: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Sunday that a passenger plane that crashed last week, killing 38 people, had been damaged by accidental shooting from the ground in Russia, adding that some in Russia had lied about the cause of the disaster.

Russian President Vladimir Putin apologised to Aliyev on Saturday for Wednesday’s “tragic incident” in Russian airspace involving Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J2-8243 after Russian air defences engaged Ukrainian attack drones.


Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in a file picture
CREDIT:BLOOMBERG

A Kremlin statement did not say Russia had shot down the plane, only noting that a criminal case had been opened.

“Our plane was shot down by accident,” Aliyev said on state television on Sunday, adding that the plane had come under some sort of electronic jamming and had then been shot at while it was approaching the southern Russian city of Grozny.

The pilots, who died in the crash, have been lauded in Azerbaijan for a landing that allowed 29 people to survive.


Workers remove the coffins of victims of the crash victims after they were flown to an airport in Azerbaijan.
CREDIT:GETTY IMAGES

“Unfortunately, in the first three days we heard only absurd versions from Russia,” Aliyev said, citing statements in Russia that attributed the crash to a bird strike or the explosion of some sort of gas cylinder.

“We witnessed clear attempts to cover up the matter,” said the Azerbaijani leader, who has close ties to Russia and was educated at one of Moscow’s top universities.

Aliyev said he wanted Russia to accept it was guilty of downing the plane and to punish those responsible.

Putin and Aliyev held another telephone call on Sunday, the Kremlin said. It gave no details, but on Saturday it said that both civilian and military specialists were being questioned about what had taken place.


Rescuers work under the wreckage of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan.
CREDIT:AP

The chief of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, told Azerbaijan’s prosecutor general in a phone call that Moscow had assigned the investigation to the most experienced experts and that actions were being taken to establish the cause and circumstances of the incident.

The plane crashed on Wednesday near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from southern Russia, where Ukrainian drones were attacking several cities at the time, the Kremlin said.

Russia’s state-owned TASS news agency quoted Kazakhstan’s Transport Ministry as saying authorities would send the two black box flight recorders to Brazil, where the Embraer E190 passenger jet was manufactured.

They would be examined by the Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Centre, which had the technical capabilities to perform the job, the ministry said.


Putin apologises over ‘tragic incident’ with Azerbaijan plane in Russian airspace

The extremely rare publicised apology from Putin on Saturday is the closest Moscow has come to accepting some blame for the disaster.

Four sources with knowledge of the preliminary findings of Azerbaijan’s investigation into the disaster told Reuters on Thursday that Russian air defences had mistakenly shot it down.

Azerbaijan paid tribute on Sunday to the pilots and passengers of the plane.

Captain Igor Kshnyakin and co-pilot Alexander Kalyaninov, both ethnic Russians with Azerbaijan citizenship, and Hokuma Aliyeva, a flight attendant, were given full honours at a ceremony at the Alley of Honour in central Baku attended by Aliyev and his wife, Mehriban.

A part of Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer 190 lies on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan.
CREDIT:NNA\EBENNETT

“The pilots were experienced and knew they would not survive this crash landing,” Aliyev said, praising them for sacrificing themselves.

“In order to save the passengers, they acted with great heroism and as a result of this, there were survivors,” he said.

Aliyev awarded the crew posthumously with the titles of National Hero of Azerbaijan.

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also awarded citizens who helped rescue the survivors, including emergency workers, medics, police and employees at the airport and a local power company.


Updated
Mystery and speculation surround cause of deadly Kazakhstan plane crash

The jet had flown from Azerbaijan’s capital Baku to Grozny, in Russia’s southern Chechnya region, before veering hundreds of kilometres off course across the Caspian Sea.

Azerbaijan’s presidential office said the pilots had battled to control the plane, desperately trying to find a place to land.

With holes in the fuselage, some crew injured, and a de-pressurised cabin, the pilots managed to fly across the Caspian Sea before crash landing.



The Alley of Honour is Azerbaijan’s most sacred modern burial ground and is where prominent politicians, poets and scientists are laid to rest, including Heydar Aliyev, father of the current president.

Reuters

Azerbaijani president demands Russia admit guilt in fatal plane crash, pay compensation

December 30, 2024
Source: Meduza

Azerbaijan has issued three demands to the Russian authorities regarding the December 25 Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash that claimed 38 lives, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in an interview with state television on Sunday.

“First, the Russian side must apologize to Azerbaijan. Second, it must acknowledge its responsibility. Third, those responsible must be punished and held criminally liable, and compensation must be paid to the Azerbaijani state, as well as to the affected passengers and crew members. These are our conditions. The first of them was fulfilled yesterday, and I hope the others will also be met,” Aliyev said.

Aliyev added that these demands were officially conveyed to Moscow on December 27.

“There is nothing extraordinary or excessive in these demands,” he said. “They are based on international norms and principles of ordinary human decency.”

An Azerbaijan Airlines plane traveling from Baku to Grozny crashed Wednesday morning near Aktau in western Kazakhstan, killing 38 people. Euronews and Reuters, citing sources in the Azerbaijani government, reported that the crash was caused by a Russian air defense system. Euronews stated that a missile was fired at the plane during “drone activity” over Grozny and detonated near the aircraft, damaging its structure.

On December 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Aliyev to apologize for the “tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace” and offered condolences to the victims’ families.

Azerbaijan's president says plane was hit over Russia in unintentional incident0 

Xinhua, December 30, 2024

An aerial drone photo taken on Dec. 25, 2024 shows the plane crash site near Aktau, Kazakhstan. [Photo/Xinhua]

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev said on Sunday that a civilian Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) aircraft, which crash-landed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, was hit over Russia, though the incident was unintentional.

In an interview with Azerbaijan Television, Aliyev revealed that the jet sustained external damage over Russian territory near Grozny, with electronic warfare systems destabilizing its controls and a ground fire severely damaging the plane.

Evidence of shrapnel and bullet holes in the fuselage clearly indicated the plane had been attacked, said Aliyev.

"We do not believe this was deliberate, but it is critical that Russia acknowledges responsibility," Aliyev said, noting that Azerbaijan has demanded an apology, accountability, and compensation.

An Embraer 190 aircraft operated by AZAL, flight J2-8243 from Baku to Grozny, crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday, with 62 passengers and five crew members on board. Thirty-eight people were killed in the crash, and 29 were rescued, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Emergency Situations said.

On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized for the "tragic incident" in Russian airspace during a phone conversation with Aliyev.

IATA calls for thorough Azerbaijan

Airlines crash probe

Scene from the crash site of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet near the western Kazakh city of Aktau on December 25, 2024. 

(Photo by Issa Tazhenbayev / AFP)

AFP
 29 Dec 2024 -

Geneva: The International Air Transport Association called on Sunday for a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation into the fatal Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash.

IATA said that if a probe finds the passenger plane was brought down by combatants, the perpetrators must be brought to justice.

The AZAL plane crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, killing 38 people of the 67 people on board.

Azerbaijani officials have suggested the aircraft was hit by a Russian air-defence system as it tried to land in Grozny, capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya.

"Our deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of those who have perished," said IATA's director general Willie Walsh.

"Out of respect for the 38 people who lost their lives and to those who survived, we must find out why this catastrophe happened and take action to ensure there is never a repeat.

"Civil aircraft must never be the intended or accidental target of military operations. The strong potential that Azerbaijan Airlines flight 8243 could have been the victim of military operations, as indicated by several governments including Russia and Azerbaijan, places the highest priority on conducting a thorough, transparent, and impartial investigation."

Walsh said an interim report should be published within 30 days.

"Should the conclusion be that this tragedy was the responsibility of combatants, the perpetrators must be held accountable and brought to justice," said Walsh.
Geneva-based IATA represents some 340 airlines comprising over 80 percent of global air traffic.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accused Russia on Sunday of firing at the jet before it crashed and of initially trying to cover up the cause of the fatal disaster, demanding that Moscow admit guilt.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Russian air defence was operating in Grozny when the plane tried to land, before diverting and crashing in western Kazakhstan.

Another Jeju Air jet experienced landing-gear issue Monday and returned, Yonhap reports

The plane experienced an unidentified landing-gear issue after takeoff and returned to Gimpo airport where it landed safely.

PHOTO: REUTERS

UPDATED Dec 30, 2024

SEOUL - A Jeju Air passenger jet that departed Gimpo Airport in Seoul for Jeju on Dec 30 experienced an unidentified landing-gear issue after takeoff and returned to Gimpo where it landed safely, Yonhap news reported, citing an unnamed source.

This comes after a Jeju Air plane carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea crashed on arrival on Dec 29, smashing into a barrier and bursting into flames, leaving all but two dead.

South Korean Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Dec 30 ordered an emergency safety inspection of the country’s entire airline operation system once the recovery work on the crash is finished.

He has also declared a seven-day national mourning period until Jan 4.

Officials are investigating what caused the plane to crash-land, including why its landing gear appeared to have malfunctioned and whether the plane had been struck by birds.

 REUTERS, AFP

South Korea: Day after Muan disaster, another Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 plane suffers landing gear trouble

ByHT News Desk |

 Edited by Shivam Pratap Singh
Dec 30, 2024

According to Reuters, the aircraft departed from Gimpo Airport in Seoul. It experienced a landing-gear issue after takeoff.

Another Jeju Air passenger jet reportedly experienced a landing gear malfunction and had to return to the airport in South Korea on Monday.

Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae , left, and other executive members bow in apology to relatives of passengers at the Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea on Sunday.(AP)

According to Reuters, the aircraft departed from Gimpo Airport in Seoul. It experienced a landing-gear issue after takeoff and returned to Gimpo where it landed safely, Reuters quoted unnamed source cited in a South Korean news agency Yonhap report.

Jeju Air Flight 7C101, which departed from Gimpo International Airport for Jeju at 6:37 am, detected an issue with its landing gear shortly after takeoff.

The airline informed the 161 passengers about the mechanical defect caused by the landing gear issue and subsequently returned the flight to Gimpo at 7:25 am.

The issue wasn't exactly named in the report but it comes just a day after one of the deadliest aviation disasters in South Korea that took 179 lives on Sunday at the Muan International Airport, also apparently due to a landing gear malfunction. The said malfunction was said to have been caused by an apparent bird strike.

It was the first crash in Jeju Air’s history. The low cost carrier started its operations in 2005 and is known for its safety.

Monday's incident happened with the same model of the aircraft, a Boeing 737-800. Out of the 41 plane that the carrier operates, 39 are of the same model.

Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae apologised for the tragedy, bowing deeply before the nation. "Regardless of the cause, I take full responsibility as the CEO," Kim stated in a press conference on Sunday.
The Muan Airport disaster

A Jeju Air flight returning from Bangkok, Thailand attempted to land at the Muan International Airport on Monday with a landing gear malfunction. The aircraft skidded on the runway and crossed the buffer zone to hit the perimeter wall.

The plane immediately caught fire and the local fire officials said that it was completely destroyed in the fire. 181 people were on board the plane at the time of the accident and only two survived the accident.

Authorities have launched an inquiry into the crash, with preliminary investigations suggesting a possible malfunction in the landing gear caused by a bird strike. Investigators are also examining weather conditions as a contributing factor.

"We are currently working to determine the exact cause and details of the situation," a Jeju Air spokesperson said. The airline clarified that the aircraft, in operation for 15 years, had no previous accidents or reported malfunctions.

Boeing faces crisis after fatal crash in South Korea amid ongoing safety concern

AP |
Dec 30, 2024 05:48 AM IST


The recent crash of a Boeing 737-800 in South Korea adds to a difficult year for the company, which has seen a significant stock decline and safety concerns.

A machinists strike. Another safety problem involving its troubled top-selling airliner. A plunging stock price.

2024 was a depressing year for the massive American airline Boeing. However, all 181 persons on board were killed except for two when one of the company's planes crashed into South Korea on Sunday.(REUTERS)

2024 was already a dispiriting year for Boeing, the American aviation giant. But when one of the company's jets crash-landed in South Korea on Sunday, killing all but two of the 181 people on board, it brought to a close an especially unfortunate year for Boeing.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and aviation experts were quick to distinguish Sunday's incident from the company’s earlier safety problems.

Alan Price, a former chief pilot at Delta Air Lines who is now a consultant, said it would be inappropriate to link the incident Sunday to two fatal crashes involving Boeing’s troubled 737 Max jetliner in 2018 and 2019. In January this year, a door plug blew off a 737 Max while it was in flight, raising more questions about the plane.

The Boeing 737-800 that crash-landed in Korea, Price noted, is “a very proven airplane. "It’s different from the Max ...It’s a very safe airplane.’’

For decades, Boeing has maintained a role as one of the giants of American manufacturing. But the the past year's repeated troubles have been damaging. The company's stock price is down more than 30% in 2024.

The company's reputation for safety was especially tarnished by the 737 Max crashes, which occurred off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019 and left a combined 346 people dead. In the five years since then, Boeing has lost more than $23 billion. And it has fallen behind its European rival, Airbus, in selling and delivering new planes.

Last fall, 33,000 Boeing machinists went on strike, crippling the production of the 737 Max, the company's bestseller, the 777 airliner and 767 cargo plane. The walkout lasted seven weeks, until members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers agreed to an offer that included 38% pay raises over four years.

In January, a door plug blew off a 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight. Federal regulators responded by imposing limits on Boeing aircraft production that they said would remain in place until they felt confident about manufacturing safety at the company.

In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud for deceiving the Federal Aviation Administration regulators who approved the 737 Max. Acting on Boeing’s incomplete disclosures, the FAA approved minimal, computer-based training instead of more intensive training in flight simulators. Simulator training would have increased the cost for airlines to operate the Max and might have pushed some to buy planes from Airbus instead. (Prosecutors said they lacked evidence to argue that Boeing’s deception had played a role in the crashes.)

But the plea deal was rejected this month by a federal judge in Texas, Reed O’Connor, who decided that diversity, inclusion and equity or DEI policies in the government and at Boeing could result in race being a factor in choosing an official to oversee Boeing’s compliance with the agreement.

Also read: 236 deaths, 6 horrific crashes: December a dark month for aviation industry

Boeing has sought to change its culture. Under intense pressure over safety issues, David Calhoun departed as CEO in August. Since January, 70,000 Boeing employees have participated in meetings to discuss ways to improve safety.

South Korea launches 'comprehensive inspection' of Boeing 737-800 fleet

Maintenance records of key systems such as engines, landing gear to be thoroughly reviewed

 December 30, 2024 | 
AFP


Fire and smoke rise from the tail section of a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 series aircraft after the plane crashed and burst into flames at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, southwest of Seoul on December 29, 2024.AFP

SEOUL: South Korea has launched a "comprehensive inspection" of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by the country's carriers, an official said Monday, after a fatal Jeju Air crash killed 179 people.

"Maintenance records of key systems such as engines and landing gear will be thoroughly reviewed for 101 aircraft operated by six airlines using the same model as the accident aircraft," said deputy minister for civil aviation, Joo Jong-wan, adding it would run to January 3.

South Korea: Expert says concrete wall plane crashed into is 'verging on criminal'

There were just two survivors, while 179 people were killed in the country's worst aviation disaster.


By Tom Parmenter, Sky News correspondent
Monday 30 December 2024 

2:10  'I've never seen anything like this'


Aviation experts have said airport authorities in South Korea should face serious questions over the concrete wall that a plane collided with killing 179 people.

Leading air safety expert David Learmount told Sky News the collision with the wall that supported a guidance system at the end of the runway was the "defining moment" of the disaster.

"Not only is there no justification [for it to be there], I think it's verging on criminal to have it there," he said.

The scene of the crash at Muan Airport. Pic: Reuters

Live updates: South Korea plane crash

Witnesses reported seeing large numbers of birds around the runway shortly before the crash and the control tower had warned the pilot of the possibility of a bird strike. A minute later the plane sent out a mayday signal.

When the plane landed on its second attempt at 9.03am, its landing gear was not deployed.

0:50   Plane skids down runway before crash

Mr Learmount believes the people on board had a good chance of survival once the pilot had got the plane on to the ground despite travelling at high speed.

"He [the pilot] has brought it down beautifully given the circumstances, they are going very fast but the plane is still intact as it slides along the ground," he said.

Satellite images show a wall holding landing system



As it reached the end of the airfield and struck the wall, the plane was almost instantly destroyed.

"That kind of structure should not be there," he said.

"That is awful. That is unbelievably awful."

Muan International Airport opened in 2007 and has become a busy regional hub in the south of the country. It is managed by the state-owned Korea Airports Corporation.

Satellite maps show the concrete structure has stood at the southern end of the runway close to the perimeter fence for many years.

An expert says the wall is 'verging on criminal'

Read More:
Everything we know about deadly crash
South Korea's worst aviation disaster

It holds the instrument landing system which helps pilots land at night or when visibility is poor.

At most airports these systems are placed on collapsible structures.

"To have a hard object about 200m or less into the overrun, I've never seen anything like this anywhere ever before," Mr Learmount added.

If the plane had not struck the wall he suggested it would have hit through a perimeter fence, travelled over a road and likely stopped in an adjacent field.

"There was plenty of space for the aircraft to have slowed down, come to a halt," Mr Learmount said.

"And I think everybody would have been alive… the pilots might have suffered some damage going through the security fence or something like that. But I even suspect they might have survived."

Another aviation expert Sally Gethin said she shared concerns about the location of the wall but disagreed that everyone would have survived.

Ms Gethin said it "seemed to be maintaining speed, so even if there had been more space at the end of the runway it could have possibly ended up being catastrophic".

The country's deputy transport minister Joo Jong-wan said the runway's 2,800m length was not a contributing factor in the crash - and maintained that walls at the ends were built to industry standards.

Bird strikes: A growing threat to aviation safety



2024-12-29

Shafaq News/ Many aviation accidents worldwide, though often minor, are attributed to bird strikes, which may have caused the crash of a passenger plane on Sunday while landing in South Korea from Bangkok.

Since 1988, bird strikes have killed 262 people and destroyed 250 aircraft globally, according to the Wildlife Strike Group of the Australian Aviation Authority. This figure does not include the recent Korean plane crash that killed 179 people.

With the increasing number of flights, such incidents are becoming more frequent. In the United States alone, 291,600 wildlife and civilian aircraft collisions were reported between 1990 and 2023, according to a database created by the Federal Aviation Administration. In France, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation recorded 600 incidents annually during commercial flights. These collisions cause over $1.2 billion in damage to aircraft each year, according to the Australian group.

Bird strikes usually occur during takeoff and landing at low altitudes between 0 and 50 feet (15 meters). Although rare, mid-flight incidents are possible; for instance, a passenger plane in France crashed in 2021 in Seine-et-Marne, near Paris, after colliding with a cormorant.

One of the most famous bird strike incidents occurred in January 2009, when an Airbus A320 operated by US Airways, carrying 155 passengers, successfully landed on the Hudson River in New York after striking a flock of geese.

Serious wildlife collision incidents account for less than 8% of cases and have been declining in recent years, according to the French Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Most damage is cosmetic, such as scratches to the aircraft's body. However, if a bird or more enters the engine, the damage can be severe, particularly if the compressor is affected, potentially causing engine failure, according to an aviation expert.

The Civil Aviation Authority noted that this could result in safety hazards or impact the continuation of the flight, leading to engine shutdowns, cautious landings, takeoff cancellations, and delays.

Risks increase with the size and number of birds, especially during migration periods, potentially causing flames or fires in the engine. The expert clarified that such incidents rarely disable the aircraft's entire hydraulic and electrical systems, allowing the pilot to control landing gear and use the second engine if the first fails.

To mitigate bird strike risks, airports and aircraft manufacturers have implemented several measures, including testing engine resistance by throwing dead chickens and deploying various airport measures, such as broadcasting distress calls or firing preventive shots into the air to scare birds away.

Experts question ‘bird strike’ as reason behind South Korea plane crash that killed 179 | 

By HT News Desk
Dec 29, 2024 

The accident occurred when Jeju Air flight 7C2216, carrying 175 passengers and six crew on a flight from Bangkok, was landing around 9 am (local time).

Civil aviation experts on Sunday questioned the extent of damage a potential bird strike would make in bringing down an entire aircraft.

Firefighters and rescue personnel work near the wreckage of a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 series aircraft after the plane crashed and burst into flames at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, some 288 kilometres southwest of Seoul on December 29, 2024.(AFP)

Several reports suggested that a bird strike could have led the aircraft's landing gear to malfunction and crash, killing 179 passengers at South Korea's Muan International Airport.

Videos show the aircraft skidding on the runway without deploying the landing gear. The plane lost control, crashed into a concrete wall, and burst into flames.

“At this point there are a lot more questions than we have answers. Why was the plane going so fast? Why were the flaps not open? Why was the landing gear not down?,” Gregory Alegi, an aviation expert and former teacher at Italy's air force academy, was quoted by Reuters as saying.

Also read | ‘What happened? Why am I here?’ asks survivor of South Korean plane crash

Christian Beckert, a flight safety expert and Lufthansa pilot, claimed that a bird strike while in the air is unlikely to have damaged the landing gear. If it had happened when it was down, it would have been hard to raise again, he said.

“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,” Beckert added.

Top updates on South Korea plane crash

-The two survivors of the tragic Jeju Air plane crash are conscious after being taken to safety by emergency workers. Officials told AFP that they were not in a life-threatening condition.

-Among the victims are 85 women, 84 men and 10 others whose genders weren't immediately identifiable. Only 65 bodies have been identified by the fire department so far. Officials also said that there was “little chance of survival” for passengers who ejected from the aircraft before the tragedy.

Also read | South Korea plane crash | 'No chance of survival?' Victims' kin react with disbelief, wails

-South Korea's deputy transport minister Joo Jong-wan said that the runway's 2,800-metre length did not contribute to the accident. He also stressed that the walls at the airport were built to “industry standards”.

-An official from the department said the pilot attempted to land in the opposite direction after the bird strike warning and mayday declaration. Marco Chan, a senior lecturer in aviation operations at Buckinghamshire New University and a former pilot, said the change of plans added to the pilot's workload. “It's a lot of guessing games at this stage”.

-Jeju Air refused to comment on the causes of the accident. Apologising and accepting “full responsibility” for the accident, the company said it hadn't identified any mechanical problems with the aircraft following regular checkups and offered to wait for the results of government investigations.

-Due to the tragedy, the South Korean government declared a period of national mourning until January 4, 2025.

South Korea air crash that killed 179 poses bird-strike mystery

Firefighters and investigators work at the scene of the Jeju Air passenger jet crash in Muan, South Korea, on Sunday. | Chang W. Lee / The New York Times

BLOOMBERG

Investigators probing the cause of the worst civil aviation accident ever in South Korea will focus on a bird strike and the unusual landing-gear failure in the final moments of the fateful flight that left all but two of the 181 occupants of the Boeing Co. 737 jet dead.

The 737-800 aircraft operated by Jeju Air crashed at Muan International Airport on Sunday morning, skidding along the runway on its belly before smashing into a wall, where it exploded into a ball of fire. Only a pair of flight attendants survived.

While the aircraft was almost entirely destroyed, investigators will have valuable data to work with as they reconstruct the event. One vital key will be a readout of the two flight recorders, which were already pulled from the wreckage, though one device is damaged and may need longer to analyze.

Then there’s footage showing the aircraft during approach with one engine apparently flaming out, alongside videos of the plane coming in to the airport and sliding along the runway at high speed, appearing largely intact, before the impact with the embankment.

The accident poses several unusual mysteries, and investigators have said it’s too soon to speculate what may have caused the crash. Midair bird strikes are rare but not entirely uncommon and seldom deadly because aircraft can operate on one engine for some time. Why the landing gear didn’t deploy also remains unclear, or indeed if there’s a link between that malfunction and the bird strike that was discussed between cockpit and control tower just before the landing.

The pilot, considered an experienced captain with close to 7,000 hours of active duty, issued a mayday emergency call minutes after the control tower warned of a bird strike. He aborted his first landing, started a go-around and switched direction on the runway in his second attempt. The control tower granted clearance to land in the opposite direction, and officials said it’s unlikely that the runway length caused the crash.

The Boeing 737 involved in the crash is a predecessor to the latest Max variant. It’s considered a reliable workhorse that passed routine maintenance checks, in a country with deep expertise for aircraft servicing. Around the world, there are more than 4,000 planes of its type in service.

Even if one of the black boxes was damaged in the crash, the data storage units can often be reconstructed to aid the investigation. The fortified devices contain vital statistics and performance metrics of a flight, as well as taped conversations and sounds from the cockpit.



An abnormal flame is seen coming out of the right engine of the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 series aircraft as it prepares to land before crashing and bursting into flames at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, on Sunday. | YONHAP / VIA AFP-JIJI

Muan’s control tower warned of the risk of a bird strike at 8:57 a.m. local time, about two minutes before the pilot declared an emergency, officials said. The airport had four staffers working to prevent bird strikes at the time of the crash, including one outside the tower.

Birds are an aviation hazard because they can be ingested into the turbine or damage other parts of the plane and cause engine failure. In 2009, an Airbus A320 landed in the Hudson River in New York after a bird strike damaged both engines, in what has become known as the "Miracle on the Hudson” because everyone on board survived.

Jeju Air’s 15-year-old plane, registered HL8088, entered service with the carrier in 2017. It was initially delivered in 2009 to Irish discount airline Ryanair Holdings PLC, according to the Planespotters.net database. The jet was configured to seat as many as 189 passengers. Founded in 2005, Jeju Air operates 42 aircraft, according to its website.

There was no sign of malfunction during regular maintenance checks, Kim E-Bae, chief executive officer of Jeju Air, said at a news briefing. The jet was returning from Bangkok overnight in a 4½ hour flight. The plane, which YTN said had been chartered by a local travel agency for a Christmas holiday trip, previously left Muan for the Thai capital on Saturday evening.

Muan is a small regional airport located in the country’s south that opened in 2007. It was built to help connect cities including Gwangju and Mokpo and increased its regular service of international flights this year, including those of Jeju Air.

The two surviving flight attendants were taken to hospital, and one of the two survivors is in intensive care unit with a thoracic spine fracture, the doctor at the hospital said in a press briefing.

Boeing said it’s in contact with Jeju Air and ready to offer support. Aircraft manufacturers typically send specialists to crash sites to aid an investigation. Recovery of the victims, some of whom were ejected from the aircraft after the impact, has been completed and salvage crews are now searching the wreckage for passengers’ belongings, Yonhap said.


Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae (third from right) and other executives bow in apology ahead of a briefing in Seoul on Sunday. | YONHAP / VIA AFP-JIJI

More than 1,500 people including police, military, coast guard and local government personnel are assisting at the crash site, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. The airport’s runway will remain closed in coming days.

The accident is the deadliest passenger airline disaster in South Korea to date, surpassing the fatality toll from an Air China plane crash near Busan in 2002 that killed 129 people, according to the Aviation Safety Network. The crash is also among the worst globally this decade.

South Korea is currently experiencing a deepening political crisis after its president provoked public outrage by briefly imposing martial law earlier this month. Acting President Choi Sang-mok declared a week of mourning.

The crash is the second major air disaster in less than a week. An incident in Russian airspace led to the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger aircraft on Christmas Day, killing dozens.

After a year of not a single fatal accident among the 37 million commercial aircraft movements in 2023, this year has seen a rising number of cases. Early in January, an approaching Japan Airlines Airbus A350 crashed into a small plane on a runway in Tokyo, killing five occupants in the stationary aircraft.

A few days later, a door plug blew out of an airborne Boeing 737 Max 9 flying in the U.S.. Though nobody was killed in that accident, the episode threw the U.S. planemaker into deep crisis because it exposed sloppy workmanship at the company.

In August, a smaller ATR turboprop plane operated by Brazil’s VoePass crashed near Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport, killing 58 passengers and four crew members.