Jeju Air Tragedy: Heartbreaking Scene of Father Watching His Daughter Die, Heartbreaking Story

His daughter, Mi Sook, died after the tragedy. The father still cannot believe what happened. "When I saw the video, the plane was out of control," the 71-year-old said.

"The pilot seemed to have no choice. My daughter was only in her 40s, how could her life end like that? I can't believe it."

He stressed that Mi Sook was a “warm child.” The last time they saw each other was on December 21, when she brought food and a 2025 calendar to the family. “She was very good, even though she was far away, she still texted me to remind me to eat on time,” Mr. Jeon said, showing the last text messages he had with his daughter on his phone.

A plane crash in South Korea claimed the lives of 179 people on December 29. Jeju Air Flight 2216 landed on its belly, skidded off the runway, hit a wall and exploded at Muan International Airport. The flight from Bangkok (Thailand) had 175 passengers and 6 crew members. Only 2 flight attendants survived because they were sitting in the back of the plane.

At the scene, many relatives of the victims lost control, immersed in grief and anger when the authorities read the names of the deceased. Many people screamed, cried and collapsed on the airport floor, where they had come to take their loved ones home.

Investigators have collected saliva samples from the family for DNA testing and identification. Mr. Jeon’s daughter was returning home from a Christmas trip to Bangkok with friends. Her husband and two daughters nearly fainted at the airport.

"The lake near the airport is not deep. The rice fields are softer than the cement runway. Why don't pilots land there?", Mr. Jeon questioned.

Firefighters said the crash left the plane “almost completely destroyed”. “The collision was followed by an explosion, and most of the passengers were thrown out of the plane and died, although two crew members survived,” said Yeom Dong Bu, a Muan firefighter.

"We have seen similar tragedies like car crashes, fires, but this is the first time we have lost so many lives," he told Reuters.

Mr Jeon's daughter was returned to her family after fingerprinting. They were preparing for a funeral near the town of Gwangju, where Mi Sook lived. "She was almost home so I didn't think it was necessary to call her family. She didn't leave a word before she left. Now she's coming home," Mr Jeon said, tears welling up in his eyes.

David Learmount, a leading UK air safety expert, said the collision between the plane and the wall at the end of the runway was the "defining moment" in the disaster. "There was no legitimate reason for the wall to be there. I think it would be almost criminal to build a permanent wall there," he said.

Mr Learmount said those on board the flight would have had a better chance of surviving after the plane hit the ground, even though the Boeing 737-800 failed to lower its landing gear and slid on its belly at high speed. "The pilot did a very good job landing the plane under the circumstances. It was going very fast, but it was still intact," he said.

However, the plane almost completely disintegrated and caught fire after hitting a concrete wall. "Many people were thrown out when the plane hit the wall, with almost no chance of survival," an official from the Jeonnam Provincial Fire Department said during a meeting with relatives of the passengers on December 29. "The wall should not have been there," Mr. Learmount emphasized.

Muan International Airport is operated by the state-owned Korea Airport Corporation. After opening in 2007, it has become an important transportation hub in the southwestern region of the country.

Satellite images show concrete walls that have been present at both ends of the runway, near the security fence, for years. They house the Instrument Landing System (ILS), which helps pilots land safely at night or in poor visibility.

Plane tragedy with 179 dead: South Korea declares national mourning, Jeju Air makes commitment Phượng Vũ3 months agoOn December 29, the Jeju Air plane tragedy took the lives of 179 out of 181 people on board. Families of the unfortunate victims collapsed upon hearing the news.