Three passenger planes crash landed within 24 hours this past weekend. Aircraft in South Korea, Canada, and Norway each experienced these incidents beginning on the evening of December 28 and carrying forward into the morning of December 29. Sadly, one of the crash landings proved fatal, Jeju Air Flight 7C 2216 in South Korea. Landing gear issues, bird strikes, and human error have been cited by many in the media as matters of concern in all three accidents. 
While details are still emerging about these crash landings, here is what we currently know.

Air Canada Flight 2259

Air Canada Express Flight 2259 experienced what seems to be an issue with its landing gear after landing at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Nova Scotia on December 28. The aircraft, a De Havilland DHC-8-402, skidded down the runway after landing. Passengers reported seeing flames on the aircraft’s left side. While the specific cause remains unknown, it led to an airfield shutdown of about 90 minutes. No injuries were reported from the incident. 

KLM Flight 1204

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Flight 1204 made an emergency landing at Oslo Torp Sandefjord Airport after experiencing what seems to have been a hydraulic failure shortly after taking off from Oslo-Gardermoen Airport. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, reported the malfunction at 7:05 p.m. on December 28. While landing, the passenger plane veered off the runway and stopped on soft grass where emergency crews quickly responded. Thankfully, no injuries were reported among the passengers or crew.

Jeju Air Flight 2216

On December 29, Jeju Air Flight 7C 2216, a Boeing 737-800, approached Muan International Airport from Thailand. The flight was already 30 minutes behind schedule when the control tower warned the pilots about birds being spotted in the area. At 8:59 a.m., two minutes after the initial warning, the pilots reported a bird strike. They then requested a go-around and received authorization to land using the opposite end of the runway. 

At 9:02 a.m., the plane landed without its landing gear deployed on the runway, skidding at high speed off the runway and into a concrete structure where it burst into flames. Of the 181 people on board only two survived making this the worst aviation disaster in South Korea and one of the deadliest worldwide.

“The tragic crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216 has left grieving families seeking answers to the cause of this terrible tragedy. As the investigation is in the early stages, it is important not to speculate on the cause of this crash,” said Jim Brauchle, an aviation attorney with Motley Rice. “What we know at this time is that Jeju Air Flight 2216 attempted to land without its landing gear. The two main inquiries will look for mechanical failures and human error—but we will have to wait and see what they uncover. “

Commercial plane crash investigations

All three accident investigations have begun in South Korea, Canada, and Norway. Investigators are reviewing video footage, cockpit audio and flight data recorders to determine the events leading up to each crash. The data from each of these sources will help us understand how significant a role the landing gear, or another critical element, may have played in each crash landing. 

The two major areas of investigation will focus on mechanical failure and human error. Mechanical failures of landing gear systems are not unheard of—such as the collapse of the landing gear on a Boeing 737 MAX at a Houston airport in March 2024. Additionally, though pilots are trained to land without the gear deployed, human error may have been a factor. Consider Asiana Flight 214 where numerous errors made by the flight crew were found to be responsible for the aircraft landing short of the runway in San Francisco.

“Although there are many varying factors contributing to these crashes, it is still very alarming to encounter three passenger aircraft incidents so close together. We will be monitoring these investigations closely,” said Mary Schiavo, former U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General and Motley Rice aviation attorney.

Our aviation experience

As one of the largest plaintiffs’ litigation firms in the United States, Motley Rice has the professional experience and financial resources to investigate, litigate and resolve plane crash cases in the U.S. court system on behalf of clients residing virtually anywhere in the world. Our aviation attorneys have worked with clients from and/or on crashes in all 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as several other countries across the globe. Additionally, we work with foreign lawyers on cases outside of the U.S. Our experience includes representing victims in litigation against airlines, manufacturers, maintenance contractors, airports, air traffic control and government entities.

For more information, contact Motley Rice aviation attorneys Jim Brauchle, Mary Schiavo or Tola Familoni by email or call 1.800.768.4026.