All 179 victims who died in Jeju Air plane crash identified: South Korean authorities
As the investigation continues into the specific cause of the Jeju Air plane crash, authorities announced that all 179 of those who died have been identified as of Wednesday morning in South Korea.
Victims' families will, for the first time, be taken to the site to pay their respects later in the day.
In addition to South Korea's transportation department and other local authorities, the United States sent a team to aid in the investigation that includes advisers from the Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing and CFM International, a jet-engine maker.
It also includes three representatives from the National Transportation Safety Board.
Some will be posted on-site while others consult remotely.
"Additional NTSB investigative staff are standing by to assist if needed, including specialists in recorders, powerplants, and survival factors, among other specialties," the NTSB said in a statement.
The crash involved a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Authorities are conducting a full investigation into 101 aircraft that are the same model. Those planes are currently operating in six local airlines, officials said.
Jeju Air Flight 2216 was landing just before 9 a.m. when the plane issued a distress call, according to South Korea's Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport. It then went off the runway and crashed into a wall.
"Before landing, the control tower issued a warning of a bird strike, and the pilot sent a distress signal immediately afterwards," the ministry said this week in a statement.
There were a total of 175 passengers and six crew members aboard the Boeing 737, which had taken off from Bangkok, Thailand.
There were two survivors of the crash, both crew members, one man and one woman. They are both in recovery with non-life-threatening injuries at separate hospitals in Seoul as of Monday, according to the Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport.
