A passenger aboard the doomed Jeju Air flight sent a relative a chilling text message moments before the plane smashed into a concrete barrier and burst into flames in South Korea, killing 179 people.
One of the passengers aboard the jet, which flew from Thailand to Muan International Airport on Sunday night, texted a relative to say that a bird was stuck in the plane’s wing, News1 agency reported, per the New York Post.
“Should I say my last words?” the passenger texted their relative, according to the outlet.
Video footage captured the eerie moment the twin-engine Boeing 737-800 skidded down the runway without working landing gear and slammed into a wall before flames erupted.
Two crew members survived but all others aboard died, officials said.
The victims — including 85 women, 84 men, and 10 others who were not immediately identifiable — perished in the blaze, the South Korean fire agency said.
The surviving pair were pulled to safety and officials said there were not in life-threatening condition.
All passengers were South Korean nationals, except for two Thai citizens, officials said.
Some 1,570 firefighters, police officers, soldiers and other rescue workers were sent to the scene following the horrific crash.
Grim footage shows the Boeing jet’s explosion. The plane appeared to land on its belly while sparks and smoke flew from the runway before it crashed and exploded in a fireball.
One landing was attempted before the crash b, buthe plane was forced to “go around” and try again when the landing gear failed to lower.
Officials are investigating various theories about the cause, including whether the plane was struck by birds, according to Muan Fire Chief Lee Jeong-hyeon.
Transport Ministry officials said the airport control tower issued a bird strike warning to the plane shortly before it intended to land and gave its pilot permission to land in a different area.