The year 2024 was scarred by two catastrophic plane crashes that shook the world. In South Korea, a landing gear failure resulted in a devastating runway overrun and crash and the loss of 179 lives. Just days before, in Kazakhstan, a Russian missile strike brought down an Azerbaijan Airlines flight, leaving 38 people dead.

The deadliest air accident ever occurred in South Korea on December 29, 2024, when an aircraft belly-landed and skidded off the end of the runway, erupting in a fireball as it slammed into a wall at Muan International Airport. Jeju 2216 flight, a Boeing 737-800, overran the runway at Muan International Airport and crashed. Only two people survived this crash. This was the deadliest crash for any South Korean airline since a Korean Air flight crashed in Guam in 1997, killing more than 200 people.

During the Jeju Air flight, as the plane was preparing to land at Muan International Airport in South Korea, it was warned at 8:57 a.m KST (UTC+9) about the potential for a bird strike. At 9:00 a.m., the plane attempted an emergency landing, being forced to go around again after the landing gear failed to deploy. The crash occurred between 9:03 and 9:07 a.m as the aircraft attempted to land again. It overshot the runway while attempting a belly landing after its main landing gear failed to deploy. The aircraft made ground contact at the middle of the runway, reducing its available stopping distance.

Previously, two days before on December 27, 2024, another flight crashed for a completely different reason. Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243, an Embraer E- 190AR, was struck by a Russian missile and crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the 67 occupants onboard.

During the Azerbaijan flight, the crew issued a distress signal by the squawking 7700 at 09:25 AM, reporting a failure of the control system. They attempted to land the plane at the nearest airport. During the time when the airplane was landing and making its third turn, communication between the pilots and air traffic control was lost. At 10:30 AM, the airplane struck the ground three kilometers from the airport, with its right wing hitting first. It then tumbled, exploded, and broke into two major pieces. The explosion, combined with the fire that broke out after the plane crashed, destroyed the front section of the plane.