Dua
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 14, 2006
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No survivors in Turkish jet crash
A passenger plane operated by budget airline Atlasjet has
crashed in south-western Turkey. All 49 passengers and
seven crew members perished, according to the airline.
Rescue workers found many of the dead lying amid a tangle of
twisted metal, personal belongings and other debris at the
mountainous crash site.
Distraught relatives of those travelling on the plane arrived at
Ataturk airport in Istanbul.
This woman fainted amid scenes of grief at the airport.
Local officials said the aircraft had broken apart into two
sections which landed in different locations. The airline said
the cause of the crash was not clear.
BBC News said:All 56 people on board a passenger plane that crashed in south-western Turkey have died, the airline's chief executive has said. Initial reports from rescue helicopter teams found no survivors, said Tuncay Doganer, head of Atlasjet.
The McDonnell Douglas 83 was carrying 49 passengers and seven crew, he said.
It was on a domestic flight from Istanbul to the town of Isparta when it disappeared from radar screens shortly before it was due to land. A local official said the pilot had requested permission to land when contact was lost at about 0136 local time (2326 GMT).
Crisis desk
The wreckage was discovered near the town of Keciborlu in the mountainous Isparta province about 12km (7.5 miles) from Isparta airport. A local reporter at the scene described luggage and debris strewn across a large area, which police have cordoned off. Mr Doganer said the cause of the crash was not clear.
"There was no rain, snowfall or storm at the plane's destination. There were no technical problems with the plane. The pilot was in communication with the tower until the plane disappeared," he said. A team of experts has been sent to the site to look for the plane's "black boxes" that record flight information.
Turkish state television has been reading out a list of names of those on board and a crisis desk has been set up at Isparta's airport, reports say. Worried relatives have begun arriving at airports in Istanbul and Isparta, waiting for news of their loved ones. Others have headed to the crash scene, local media reported.
The flight was operated by the privately-owned Atlasjet, a low-fare Turkish airline run by two Turkish tour operators, Etstur and Oger Tours. Atlasjet has 15 planes for domestic and international flights.
A passenger plane operated by budget airline Atlasjet has
crashed in south-western Turkey. All 49 passengers and
seven crew members perished, according to the airline.
Rescue workers found many of the dead lying amid a tangle of
twisted metal, personal belongings and other debris at the
mountainous crash site.
Distraught relatives of those travelling on the plane arrived at
Ataturk airport in Istanbul.
This woman fainted amid scenes of grief at the airport.
Local officials said the aircraft had broken apart into two
sections which landed in different locations. The airline said
the cause of the crash was not clear.
