Drama in South Korea

Text from death jet: “Should I make a will?”

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA/AFP/YONHAP, APA/YONHAP)

The shock is deep following the serious plane crash in South Korea on Sunday that claimed 179 lives. A local daily newspaper reported on the harrowing last message that a passenger wrote to a family member: "Should I make a will?" he asked shortly before the devastating crash landing. Then contact was lost.

Miraculously, two crew members survived the Jeju Air plane crash at Muan International Airport. There were a total of 181 people on board. After an initial unsuccessful landing attempt, a Boeing 737-800 attempted to land again in the morning. However, the landing gear apparently did not extend. The plane overshot the runway shortly after 9 a.m. local time, crashed into the airport fence and burst into flames. 

Pictures of the scene after the crash landing: 

"A bird hit the wing"
The message that a passenger sent to a relative via the messenger service KakaoTalk shortly before the accident supports the theory that a bird strike could have been responsible for the crash. As reported by News1 Korea, the message was sent to a recipient who was waiting for his family member at the airport. "A bird is stuck in our wing and we can't land," the passenger wrote.

The family member showed the last messages from his relative who had died in an accident:

When the man asked how long it had been like this, the family member replied a minute later, "Only now. Should I make a will?" Then the passenger could no longer be reached. 

Survivors were in the rear of the plane
A male flight attendant (22) and his 25-year-old female colleague survived - given the pictures showing the wreckage of the crashed plane, this fact borders on a miracle. According to the South Korean newspaper "Chosun Ilbo", they were in the back of the plane. The two suffered serious, but not life-threatening injuries. 

"The passengers were thrown onto the runway by the force of the collision. Their bodies were badly affected," explained a fire department officer. Many victims were on a Christmas trip
As the South Korean newspaper "Chosun Ilbo" reported, it is said to have been a "Christmas charter flight": This involves a travel agency buying most of the seats in advance and then selling them on. The holidaymakers were traveling in Thailand for five days with this package.