Lee Mo, seated in a flight attendant’s position at the rear of the aircraft, felt the plane touch down but cannot recall what happened next.
On the morning of December 29, a Jeju Air plane carrying 175 passengers and six crew members veered off the runway at Muan Airport in southwest South Korea and erupted in flames. Jeonnam Province Fire Department officials reported that only two people survived, while the remaining 179 were presumed dead.
Initial reports from South Korean media stated that the two survivors included a female passenger in her 20s and a male flight attendant named Lee Mo. However, Yonhap News Agency later quoted local fire officials confirming that the woman, identified by her surname Koo, was also a flight attendant on the flight.
“What happened? Why am I here?” Lee, 33, said after regaining consciousness at a hospital in Mokpo. According to the attending doctor, Lee appeared to be in shock and suffering from memory loss, repeatedly asking about the circumstances of the crash. Both Lee and Koo were flight attendants stationed at the rear of the cabin.
Before landing, Lee had taken a seat in the designated flight attendant chair at the rear of the plane and fastened his seatbelt as per regulations. He recalled feeling the plane touch down but has no memory of what followed.
Doctors at the hospital reported that Lee suffered a fractured left shoulder and head injuries but remained conscious and able to walk. His family has reportedly requested that he be transferred to a hospital in Seoul for further treatment.
“Smoke was coming from one of the engines before the explosion,” emergency responders quoted Koo as saying after her rescue, adding that she was not in critical condition. Video footage released by MBC showed the plane landing on its belly, skidding along the runway before crashing into a barrier and bursting into flames. Yonhap reported that the incident may have been caused by a bird strike that damaged the landing gear.
The CEO of Jeju Air issued an apology to the victims’ families and stated there were no prior indications of mechanical issues with the plane. The airline has pledged to cooperate fully with investigators to determine the cause of the crash.