Experts are questioning the cause of South Korea’s most fatal airplane crash, involving Jeju Air flight 7C2216. An initial hypothesis pointing to a bird strike causing the crash has been met with skepticism.

The lack of visible landing gear during the aircraft’s belly landing at Muan International Airport, the timing of the incident, and reports of a potential bird strike have all sparked questions that remain unanswered at the moment.

The single-aisle plane was seen skidding down the runway without visible landing gear in video footage from local media. This was before it hit a wall, triggering a fiery explosion and a shower of debris.

Several questions have been raised by Geoffrey Thomas, the editor of Airline News. He queried the absence of fire tenders laying foam on the runway, their lack of presence when the plane touched down, the aircraft’s landing position on the runway, and the presence of a brick wall at the runway’s end.

South Korean officials are investigating the cause of the crash, which claimed the lives of almost all 181 passengers on board. They are also looking into the possibility of a bird strike.

The flight data recorder was found two and a half hours after the crash, while the cockpit voice recorder was retrieved later in the day. These recordings are critical for understanding the sequence of events leading up to the crash, with Thomas referring to the flight data recorder as the “heartbeat of the airplane”.

Despite a bird strike warning issued by the control tower and the mayday declaration by the pilots, it is unclear whether the aircraft actually hit any birds. Experts are doubtful whether a bird strike could cause a landing gear malfunction.

Geoffrey Dell, an Australian airline safety expert, stated, “I’ve never seen a bird strike prevent the landing gear from being extended.” He and other experts agree that a bird strike could potentially affect the engines, but it wouldn’t cause them to shut down immediately.

What remains unclear is why the plane didn’t slow down after hitting the runway. In a typical belly landing, the plane lands on its engines, making for a bumpy ride, but usually results in a manageable situation, with minimum fuel and fire tenders on standby.

This incident, however, appears to have deviated from the norm, with Trevor Jensen, an Australian aviation consultant, stating that fire and emergency services should normally be prepared for a belly landing, indicating that this crash was unplanned.