On Sunday, a devastating plane crash in South Korea claimed the lives of 179 people, marking it as the nation’s deadliest aviation disaster to date. Authorities have launched an emergency safety investigation to determine the sequence of events leading up to the tragedy, with a significant focus on the possible role of a bird strike. This investigation follows a bird strike warning issued by air traffic control just moments before the aircraft was due to touch down at Muan International Airport. Per reports, a passenger relayed that a bird was “stuck in the wing”, adding to concerns regarding its potential impact on the ill-fated landing.

Bird strikes, defined as collisions between birds and aircraft, are not uncommon, with the U.S. witnessing over 19,600 wildlife strikes reported to the Federal Aviation Administration in 2023 alone. However, experts assert that such incidents are rarely responsible for catastrophic outcomes. Sonya Brown, an aerospace-design lecturer from the University of New South Wales, remarked that “a bird strike should be a survivable event”. Aircraft are engineered to withstand strikes, including rigorous testing of engines against bird carcasses to ensure continued operational efficiency, as detailed in a 2017 article by CNBC.

Despite the chilling potential for bird strikes, historical data indicates that these incidents rarely lead to fatalities. According to a June report from the Federal Aviation Administration, 491 people have died and around 350 aircraft destroyed globally due to wildlife strikes between 1988 and 2023. Nevertheless, bird-related accidents contribute a minimal fraction to total aviation fatalities—less than 1.8% of the more than 27,000 aviation deaths recorded in the same period, predominantly involving smaller aircraft.

In the aftermath of the recent tragedy, associated complications emerged such as the aircraft's notably faulty landing configuration; video footage revealed that the plane did not have its landing gear deployed. Keith Tonkin, managing director of Aviation Projects, noted that “it appears the aircraft wasn't configured for a normal landing,” with wing flaps absent at the time of descent. Further complicating matters, the aircraft ultimately collided with a solid wall near the runway upon landing rather than executing a standard touchdown.

As South Korean officials assess the accident's causes, the possibility of multiple contributing factors has emerged. Former FAA accident investigator Jeff Guzzetti referred to the “Swiss Cheese Model”, suggesting that aviation disasters typically arise from a series of small errors rather than a single failure.

The acting president of South Korea has called for an immediate inspection of the nation's airline operations while concurrently auditing all 101 Boeing 737-800s in the country. Although a bird strike is being considered, experts contend that further investigations are necessary to establish the full context surrounding this tragic event.

For additional details, read the full articles from BBC and Business Insider.