Wow that's an amazing video. I would think a modern jetliner would be screaming at you about the gear. Unless they ignored it or something was terribly damaged.

It likely was.

If the pilot thought gear was down, that still doesnt explain lack of flaps. Maybe lack of reverse-thrust, but not flaps.

The whole thing is strange. The pilots weren't incapacitated at all, you can see they made the best attempt at piloting the aircraft after a bird strike....except for not noticing that the landing gear was down.

Youtube post from blancolirio channel. He always has good insight.

The NTSB is leading a team of U.S. investigators (NTSB, Boeing and FAA) to assist the Republic of Korea’s Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) with their investigation of the Dec. 29 Jeju Air accident at Muan International Airport in Muan, Republic of Korea.

— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) December 29, 2024

Duckhook said:

---

Youtube post from blancolirio channel. He always has good insight.

---

So the approach was from the south (cleared for runway 01), but the crash was northbound heading south (runway 19)...maybe they actually did execute a TOGA.

He confirms that before the data blackout, flaps were down and the bird strike occurred during approach to runway 01. Flaps were not deployed when approaching Runway 19.

Curious why the flight data ended 7 minutes before the crash.

Thanks for posting. That guy is extremely knowledgeable.

incredible video, thanks for posting it.

Burnsey said:

---

My guess is the pilots panicked after the bird strike, were distracted, then not prepared to manually navigate the go around so not properly configured to land, meaning they landed long and forgot the landing gear. Basically crashed a plane that despite the bird strike, was still very operational. We'll see.

---

Most likely explanation is probably the right one.

How they could forget the landing gear AND flaps is mind blowing.

The guy in the video was using Flightaware to view the ADS-B track, which relies on a network of ground-based receivers run by volunteers to receive the ADS-B signals and feed them to the site. Not uncommon to have dead zones for coverage, especially as aircraft drop to lower altitudes. There are numerous other tracking providers including some satellite-based collectors that most likely have better data up to the point of the crash.

Edit:
Here's a different site which appears to have ADS-B data much closer to the time of the incident.
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/hl8088#3883cda8

Such terrible (multiple) videos to watch.

im dumb, but i dont see much of a difference.

doesnt show the flight path around after the bird strike and seems to cut off at the same pt that he was showing.

BadMoonRisin said:

---

The pilot flared the aircraft several times; almost as if he was trying to sit the nonexistent main gear down on the runway but didn’t realize that the gear wasn’t extended. I know it is early and I shouldn’t draw conclusions, but it is hard to arrive at any other conclusion…

— Moe ☕️ (@MauriceCooley) December 29, 2024

I think this is what probably happened. In an emergency situation, how can you forget the gear-down?

If they were certain that their landing gear wouldnt work, you have to set it down sooner to give yourself the most runway and friction to stop the aircraft. If you thought the gear was down, you would behave exactly as the pilot did in this situation.

The cockpit was probably screaming "TOO LOW. GEAR" and "TOO LOW, FLAPS", the entire time.

Strange, for sure. Tragic as well.

---

WOW if you watch closely its :06 seconds of flaring before tail touches runway. I am not sure what min speed is for that no flap configuration but at 150 knots or 253' a second the ground effect/ pilot confusion burned up 1518' of runway.

After initial tail touch the plane goes airborne again for another :04 before engines impact and start dragging the runway, burning up another 1012' of runway.

That's a loss of runway for deceleration of 2530' when you already landed long. Not a good combination.

GAC06 you probably know the min airspeed for no flaps feel free to correct from 150kts if I am off there.

I still dont think the engines were throttled down.

I think the pilots thought the gear was down and they were good, did not take any precautionary measures, and that's what caused the accident. Low airspeed, they probably figured out the gear was not down on touchdown, but there was nothing they could do after the belly landing, and they caused the deaths of 170+ people.

In the YT video, the guy admits that 7 minutes from bird-strike and landing did not allow the aviators much time to safely complete their checklists and ensure a safe landing. This did not need to be an emergency.

If they were adept enough to realize landing gear was not down (and im not sure which circumstance would prevent them from knowing that) they might have walked away alive.

I can't tell for sure from the videos whether the flaps are completely up. No clue on how slow they could get, especially in ground effect. 150 seems reasonable though if they were flaps up

If that was the intention, that's even more egregious than just not doing any checklists (which is what I'm leaning towards right now). CVR will tell the tale.

Super short runway if a belly landing was the plan. They should have touched down much sooner. And had flaps. And landing gear.

You are right, though, we wont know until the cockpit voice recorder is released.

BadMoonRisin said:

---

Super short runway if a belly landing was the plan. They should have touched down much sooner. And had flaps. And landing gear.

You are right, though, we wont know until the cockpit voice recorder is released.

---

That's what I am trying to say in my above comment, had the gear been down or flaps out they should have touched down with usage of 2053 more feet of runway.

Crazy that the crash analysis guy pointed out pilot arm bracing outward just prior to impact.

I don't think they made use of checklist. This one is going to produce a safety bulletin and I am glad South Korea invited NTSB to conduct investigation.

JFABNRGR said:

---

BadMoonRisin said:

---

Super short runway if a belly landing was the plan. They should have touched down much sooner. And had flaps. And landing gear.

You are right, though, we wont know until the cockpit voice recorder is released.

---

That's what I am trying to say in my above comment, had the gear been down or flaps out they should have touched down with usage of 2053 more feet of runway.

Crazy that the crash analysis guy pointed out pilot arm bracing outward just prior to impact.

---

That was especially harrowing and sad.

PA24 said:

---

Until we hear what was said in the black box, I am guessing the pilot purposely belly landed the plane. I think he was afraid of stalling or even flipping the plane if he changed the airspeed (on one engine) and came in hot. Even when he realized he was floating and landing long, thinking at worst the plane skids off the end of the runway, not realizing that the LOC antennas were on massive concrete blocks.

---

We've not seen anything from the multiple videos so far to indicate any actual flight control problem that warranted no landing gear.

A 737 can fly and land with both hydraulic systems failed, and extend the landing gear with no hyds as well. Sadly, the investigation will almost certainly determine that if they followed procedures and took another ten minutes they could have had a relatively uneventful landing.

Suspect a complete hydraulic failure explaining the lack of gear, flaps and ground spoilers deployed. Even still, doesn't explain why they didn't declare an emergency and manually extend the gear. Odd ordeal. We will know once the FDR info is released.

Romello said:

---

Suspect a complete hydraulic failure explaining the lack of gear, flaps and ground spoilers deployed. Even still, doesn't explain why they didn't declare an emergency and manually extend the gear. Odd ordeal. We will know once the FDR info is released.

---

Then how does he get back to the airport and land level on an actual runway with no control?

Boeing stock opened down 5% in overnight trading.

GAC06 said:

---

A 737 can fly and land with both hydraulic systems failed, and extend the landing gear with no hyds as well. Sadly, the investigation will almost certainly determine that if they followed procedures and took another ten minutes they could have had a relatively uneventful landing.

---

I bet they find the brake pedals were stomped on.

GAC06 said:

---

A 737 can fly and land with both hydraulic systems failed, and extend the landing gear with no hyds as well. Sadly, the investigation will almost certainly determine that if they followed procedures and took another ten minutes they could have had a relatively uneventful landing.

---

Yep, that's where I am at, but again Im a dumbass, so what do I know

That didn't happen. No hydraulics looks the Souix City crash…if they're so amazingly skilled and lucky to even make it back to the airport.

I'm assuming the approach and tower folks are not publicly speaking out about communications with the plane on final? Probably told to be quiet about it pending investigation.

JFABNRGR said:

---

Romello said:

---

Suspect a complete hydraulic failure explaining the lack of gear, flaps and ground spoilers deployed. Even still, doesn't explain why they didn't declare an emergency and manually extend the gear. Odd ordeal. We will know once the FDR info is released.

---

Then how does he get back to the airport and land level on an actual runway with no control?

---

These aircraft have redundant hydraulic systems that are complex with some flight controls backed up with mechanical actuation in case of hydraulic failure. That said, nothing about this ordeal makes any sense.

Btw, the hydraulic failure stuff is all speculation based on not having gear and maybe not flaps, but even with a dual failure they could have both gear and flaps.

Burnsey said:

---

That didn't happen. No hydraulics looks the Souix City crash…if they're so amazingly skilled and lucky to even make it back to the airport.

---

737 is small enough that there's a manual reversion even with both systems failed. It's harder, but it's not flying only with engine thrust hard.

Romello said:

---

JFABNRGR said:

---

Romello said:

---

Suspect a complete hydraulic failure explaining the lack of gear, flaps and ground spoilers deployed. Even still, doesn't explain why they didn't declare an emergency and manually extend the gear. Odd ordeal. We will know once the FDR info is released.

---

Then how does he get back to the airport and land level on an actual runway with no control?

---

These aircraft have redundant hydraulic systems that are complex with some flight controls backed up with mechanical actuation in case of hydraulic failure. That said, nothing about this ordeal makes any sense.

---

Sorry but your two statements in bold are in conflict after you expand the quotes.

JFABNRGR said:

---

Romello said:

---

JFABNRGR said:

---

Romello said:

---

Suspect a complete hydraulic failure explaining the lack of gear, flaps and ground spoilers deployed. Even still, doesn't explain why they didn't declare an emergency and manually extend the gear. Odd ordeal. We will know once the FDR info is released.

---

Then how does he get back to the airport and land level on an actual runway with no control?

---

These aircraft have redundant hydraulic systems that are complex with some flight controls backed up with mechanical actuation in case of hydraulic failure. That said, nothing about this ordeal makes any sense.

---

Sorry but your two statements in bold are in conflict.

---

There not. There is an A and B system plus a standby system. The ailerons and elevator are capable of being controlled without any hydraulics. The rudder is too big for that, but has its own isolated hyd system. With hyds A and B failed a 737 should be able to fly, extend the flaps, and lower the gear. Manual gear extension requires no hydraulics.

I doubt they had a fuel hyd failure for what it's worth

Edit, just saw your edit so this post is dumb but I'll leave it

The only thing i have heard from ATC is that they warned the plane that bird strikes were possible a few minutes before they actually struck the birds.