 and Kwon (25), miraculously survived.){kind=link}
On a sombre Sunday at South Korea’s Muan International Airport, tragedy struck as a Jeju Air flight crashed while attempting to land, claiming 179 lives. Amid the devastation, a glimmer of hope emerged: two flight attendants, Lee (32) and Kwon (25), miraculously survived. Their escape was attributed to their position at the aircraft’s rear tail section—a location statistically regarded as the safest during crashes.
The Crash and Its Aftermath
The Jeju Aeroplane, a Boeing 737-800, was on its way from Bangkok to Muan when it failed to land properly, skidding off the runway and crashing into a fence. In the blink of an eye, the plane burst into flames. Preliminary investigation reports suggest a landing gear failure as the most probable cause and attempted a belly landing.
Lee and Kwon were the only two survivors rescued from the charred tail section. Both of them had severe injuries. Lee’s shoulder was broken, and his head was bruised while Kwon had an ankle fracture, scalp laceration, and severe abdominal pain. Hospital authorities reported that their lives were not in any danger.
Why the Tail Section?
A 2015 survey conducted by TIME Magazine provides evidence that back seats are even safer in an aeroplane. The publication found out that the chances of death when hitting any plane are 38% among passengers at the back, 39% in the middle and 32% at the rear. Its tail section usually has less impact with the ground on crashing, therefore slightly improving the survival chances.
Survivor Accounts
Both survivors remain in a daze, hardly remembering what transpired. Lee kept asking himself repeatedly, “What happened? Why am I here?” This sums up the bewilderment at surviving such a disaster. The two accounts, although hazy, are vital leads for investigators who want to make sense of what happened and the order of events that culminated in the crash.
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A Greater Tragedy
Among those killed in the crash were people aged 78 years to a three-year-old child. Also, among those who died included two nationals from Thailand. Investigations into the matter are ongoing while hope and determination in surviving have been witnessed. The surviving act gives the two survivors a sense of purpose toward life: unpredictable as it could be and in an ongoing course to increase air safety.
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