Dozens dead after South Korean jet carrying 181 people crashes at airport: Live updates | CNN

The aircraft’s landing gear appears not to have been set down when it crash-landed on the runway, based on video footage of Sunday’s disaster, according to a CNN transport analyst.

Mary Schiavo, a former inspector general of the US Department of Transportation, said one of the engines may have gone down or the plane’s indicators could have been damaged. Another possibility, she said, is that the pilot was attempting a “go-around,” meaning the pilot wanted to abort the landing and circle back in the air to check if the gears were working.

Jeju Air flight 7C 2216, listed as a Boeing 737-800 on flight-tracking website FlightAware, was carrying 181 people (175 passengers and six crew) from Bangkok to Muan International Airport.

The tragedy struck during a busy holiday travel season, noted Schiavo, who spoke from Chiang Mai, Thailand.

“Everything is just teeming with families celebrating the holidays. So we can bet that this flight was most likely full,” she said.

While Jeju Air is a popular low-cost carrier, South Korea has a generally high aviation safety rating, Schiavo said. South Korea is rated Category 1 in the US Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) International Aviation Safety Assessment Program.

The aviation industry is booming in South Korea, as well as Thailand and across Southeast Asia, so regulators have to stay on top of the growth, Schiavo said.