A source familiar with the ongoing investigations into the ill-fated South Korean plane revealed the cause of the crash, which occurred late last year.
According to Reuters, the source stated that investigators found bird feathers and blood in the plane's engines, which crashed in South Korea on December 29, 2024. Flight 7C 2216 was coming from Bangkok, Thailand, to Muan Airport in southwest South Korea when it attempted to land and veered off the runway, exploding after colliding with a concrete wall.
The pilot had informed the control tower that the plane had struck a bird, leading to a state of emergency being declared approximately four minutes before the crash.
Two crew members were rescued from the tail, the only part that remained intact after the crash and explosion.
The incident claimed the lives of 179 people, making it the "worst aviation disaster" ever witnessed in South Korea.
Investigators earlier this month reported finding feathers in one of the engines retrieved from the crash site, and video footage showed that a bird had collided with the engine.