markben
30th Nov 2007, 05:52
Anybody know anything more than 56 dead?????
Marker Beacon
markben
30th Nov 2007, 05:56
A Turkish plane has crashed near the town of Isparta in central Turkey, killing all 56 people on board.
Chief executive of the AtlasJet airline, Tuncay Doganer, has addressed a televised news conference.
"Rescue teams have reached the wreckage," he said. "There are no survivors."
The MD 83 plane, manufactured by McDonnell Douglas, crashed in the early hours of Friday (local time) in mountains in the Isparta province of central Turkey.
It had been flying from Istanbul with 49 passengers and seven crew.
It was not immediately clear what had caused the crash.
Mr Doganer said weather conditions were not abnormal at the time of the crash and that he knew of no technical deficiencies aboard the aircraft.
He said the aircraft's black box should explain what happened.
Turkey is now in the grip of winter with snow and fog common on higher ground across much of the country.
Rescue workers reached the mountainous crash site after military helicopters spotted the wreckage of the airliner.
Turkish television showed anxious relatives arriving at Istanbul airport seeking news about the passengers.
The aircraft disappeared from radar screens shortly before it was due to land at Isparta, about 150 kilometres north of the Mediterranean resort of Antalya.
The state Anatolian news agency said aviation authorities lost contact with the plane just after the pilot said he was preparing to land at Isparta's Suleyman Demirel airport.
"As the plane was approaching its descent, it sought permission to land and after receiving a positive reply from the tower contact was lost," the agency quoted local deputy governor Tayyar Sasmaz as saying.
M Beacon