THIS is the harrowing moment the doomed South Korean plane hurtles down the runway before smashing into a wall and going up in flames.
The air disaster left 179 people dead with only two surviving the terrifying crash as investigators continue to desperately search for answers.
Video captured just seconds before the devastating aircraft smash shows the moment the pilot managed to land the Boeing 737-800 on its belly along the runway.
The passenger plane is believed to have hit a bird on its approach to Muan International Airport resulting in the plane’s landing gear being crippled.
Several attempts were made to land with the pilot aborting on multiple occasions before finally deciding to attempt it.
The aircraft quickly slammed into the tarmac as the pilot heroically tried to land safely.
The footage shows the delicate descent in the awful conditions as the plane successfully touches down.
Aviation experts said the emergency landing was “beautiful” with the pilot doing almost exactly as they are trained to do in similar situations.
But just seconds later the pilot’s heroic landing was all in vain as it continued to speed off the end of the runway before colliding with a concrete wall.
The plane instantly exploded with the structure “which should not have been there” at the end of the 2,800-metre runway.
The wall is believed to have helped to detonate the killer fireball by rupturing fuel tanks.
David Learmount of Flight International Magazine said if the wall wasn’t where it was then “everybody would be alive now”.
Captain Mike Vivien, an air safety and security consultant, also spoke on the wall’s presence at the airport.
He said: “A brick wall was not necessarily precluded by regulations but whether it was too strong is another matter.
“Why the wall was there is a possibility which will have to be looked at.”
Investigations are now set to continue into the fatal crash with serious questions set to be asked over if the disaster could have been avoided.
Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 was carrying 181 people from Bangkok at the time of the tragedy.
Video shows it approaching Muan when its right engine was struck by what appeared to be a bird.
The collision may have forced the pilot to shut down the damaged engine as he wrestled to control it in the sky.
The pilot was reported to have made a mayday call just after the bird strike.
In a desperate attempt to land, the pilot touched down despite the plane’s wheels not being able to lock down.
It remained unclear why the jet’s undercarriage failed as bird strikes don’t typically trigger faults with landing gear.
Passengers appeared to be aware of the serious dangers as one sent their loved ones a harrowing text that read: “Should I say my last words?”
The plane then skidded at high speeds until it plummeted into the wall, exploded and was left on fire.
Rescue teams raced to the scene and, incredibly, pulled two survivors from the rear of the blazing wreck.
They are reported to be a 33-year-old male cabin steward and a stewardess in her 20s.
Both were rushed to hospital in serious condition.
Tragically everyone else on board died in the flames amid horrific scenes.
The accident was later declared as South Korea’s worst air smash in two decades.
It also marks the deadliest crash of 2024.
The official death toll was called at 179 – with all 175 passengers and four of the six crew killed.
Five children were among those dead with the youngest being a three-year-old toddler.
The four others were all under 10 while the oldest victim was 78.
Shocked rescuers said 11 of the bodies recovered were too badly burned to be formally identified.
Many of those dead were Koreans returning from a package holiday festive trip to Thailand.
The crash is the first fatal accident in the budget airline’s history.
Soldiers and emergency crews spent the night combing through the runway and surrounding fields searching for crash investigation clues.
But investigators quickly recovered the jet’s Black Box flight recorder which may provide vital insights as to the cause of the tragedy.
A fire service spokesman said: “The plane is almost completely destroyed, and identifying the deceased is proving difficult.
“The process is taking time as we locate and recover the remains.”
Muan International Airport is in Muan county, about 179 miles southwest of Seoul.
The accident took place at 9.03am local time – just after midnight UK time – on Sunday.
