“Should I make a will ?”: Last text message sent by passenger just before deadly South Korean crash

On December 29, 2024, a plane crashed while trying to land at Muan Airport in South Korea, killing 179 people. Only two crew members survived. The last message sent by one of the passengers to his family was relayed by the Korean press.

A final text message before the crash. One of the passengers on the Boeing of the low-cost airline Jeju Air sent a message to one of his relatives to tell him that a bird was stuck in the wing of the plane, the News1 news agency reported.

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

“We can't land because a bird got stuck in the wing,” he first wrote, as reported by Chosun, one of South Korea's leading media outlets. His relatives then asked him when the incident happened. The passenger replies: “Right now. Should I make a will?”

After this last message, suggesting that the passenger is expecting the worst, the contact is cut.

A warning message just before the crash

As a reminder, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap, the airport control tower issued an alert at 8:57 a.m. (local time) regarding a risk of collision with birds. A minute later, the plane reported distress and attempted a first landing before crashing at 9:03 a.m. The final death toll was 179 out of the 181 people on board. Only two crew members survived the crash.

A video broadcast by South Korean broadcaster MBC shows the plane landing with smoke coming from the engines, apparently without landing gear. The plane veered off the runway before being engulfed in flames.

Boeing said in a statement that it was in contact with the airline and “stands ready to assist them.” The company also sent its condolences to the victims' families.

All domestic and international flights have been canceled at Muan Airport, Yonhap reported. South Korean interim President Choi Sung-mok, who was appointed president on Friday after his predecessor was ousted, arrived at the scene of the crash and said the government was mobilizing all its resources to respond to the disaster.

Two Thai women, aged 22 and 45, were on board the plane, Thai government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub said. Thailand's foreign ministry later confirmed that the two women were among the victims.