A witness who filmed flames erupting from the engine of a Jeju Airplane involved in a recent incident in South Korea shared their account of the event and confirmed that they immediately reported it to the Korea Airports Corporation.
On Monday, MBN aired an interview with the individual, who had been staying at a pension in Muan, South Jeolla Province. The witness, a traveler, explained that they heard loud popping noises while preparing breakfast and instinctively grabbed their camera.
The witness recorded the moment flames shot from the plane’s engine as it flew overhead. “I saw flames and immediately told my friends the engine was malfunctioning. I turned on my camera and captured the last moments clearly,” they said.
The video begins at 8:58:41 a.m., just seconds before the pilot declared an emergency “Mayday” after a bird strike at 8:59 a.m. on Sunday.
At 9:03 a.m., when the plane changed direction, attempted a belly landing, and collided with the airport’s outer wall, the witness called the Korea Airports Corporation customer center to report the incident. “Did the plane arriving at Muan Airport at 9 o’clock land safely? Flames were coming from the right engine,” they inquired.
“I’m a ship captain, so I’m particularly sensitive to accidents,” the witness explained. “I always record videos when I sense there’s a potential hazard.”
While investigations into the cause of the accident continue, the video, captured by the witness in a moment of quick thinking, is expected to play a crucial role in the investigation.