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

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

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.