Investigators have found evidence of bird feathers and blood in at least one of the engines of the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 that crashed in South Korea last month, claiming 179 lives. This discovery corroborates earlier reports that a bird strike likely contributed to the tragic incident, according to sources familiar with the probe.

According to Reuters, shortly before the crash, the pilot declared an emergency after reporting a bird strike and attempted a go-around maneuver to land on the opposite end of the runway. Air traffic control had issued a warning about bird activity in the area just two minutes earlier.

Boeing 737-800

A satellite image shows the area at South Korea’s Muan International Airport after the Jeju Air aircraft went off the runway and crashed, in Muan, South Korea, December 30, 2024. 2024 Planet Labs Inc./Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT

The aircraft was en route from Bangkok, Thailand, to Muan County, South Korea, when it belly-landed, overshot the runway, and struck an embankment before bursting into flames. Only two crew members stationed at the tail section survived, marking the disaster as South Korea’s deadliest aviation accident.

Video footage and forensic analysis of the wreckage have confirmed the presence of feathers in one engine, with new findings suggesting both engines may have been affected.

Boeing 737-800

A man mourns at a memorial altar for government officials of Jeollanam-do Office of Education and students who died in the Jeju Air crash at Muan International Airport, in Muan, South Korea, December 31, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

The investigation faces hurdles as the plane’s black boxes stopped recording four minutes before the crash, leaving a critical gap in understanding the sequence of events. This anomaly has raised concerns among aviation experts. Sim suggested that the loss of power to the black boxes, including backup systems, points to a potentially catastrophic power failure.

A U.S. Airways Airbus A320 in the Hudson River with its passengers being evacuated.
By Greg L – originally posted to Flickr as Plane crash into Hudson River, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5723340

Sim Jai-dong, a former transport ministry accident investigator, noted the rarity of bird strikes affecting both engines simultaneously. “It’s a rare occurrence but not unprecedented,” he said, referencing other incidents like the 2009 “Miracle on the Hudson,” where a U.S. Airways flight landed safely on the Hudson River after a dual engine failure caused by a bird strike.