TRAGIC FOOTAGE OF THE LAST MOMENTS BEFORE THE FATAL JEJU AIR CRASH

An estimated 167 people were killed in a plane crash that was captured on camera at a South Korean airport. After flying from Bangkok, Thailand today (December 29), the Jeju Air aircraft landed at Muan Airport, approximately 180 miles (290 km) south of Seoul, at 9.03 am local time with 181 passengers and crew members on board. The Boeing 737-800 jet was making its second attempt to land after its landing gear failed to open, resulting in a crash landing, according to local media.

The aircraft veered off the runway as it got closer to the ground, colliding with a concrete wall before catching fire. About 1,560 firefighters, police officers, soldiers, and other officials responded to the scene, along with 32 firetrucks and several helicopters. Two crew members have been pulled from the plane's wreckage by rescue workers, but firefighters have stated that other missing persons are now thought to have been killed.

Although the death toll is anticipated to increase as recovery efforts continue, the confirmed death toll consists of 79 women, 77 men, and 11 additional individuals whose genders were not immediately identifiable.

The transport ministry of South Korea has since claimed that the pilot was permitted to land in a different location by the airport's control tower, which alerted the aircraft to a bird strike before the crash. Before the crash, a passenger on board texted a family member to inform them that a bird had become lodged in the plane's wing, according to News1. As per the outlet, their last message read: "Should I say my last words?"

The pilot issued a distress signal just before the aircraft skidded into the wall. According to Sky News, authorities have now recovered information from the aircraft's black box to help shed light on what transpired when the plane crashed. Officials are still searching for the cockpit voice recording device, according to Joo Jong-wan, a senior official in the Transport Ministry.

Images from the site show smoke and flames engulfing the plane, which was destroyed in the incident. Officials have confirmed the fire has since been extinguished, but Lee Jeong-Hyeon, chief of the Muan fire station, said during a televised briefing that the tail of the plane was the only recognizable part of the aircraft after the crash.