Passenger plane with 52 people on board crash-lands in eastern Indonesia
Almasalla Travel News – JAKARTA, Indonesia – Passengers on an Indonesian airliner had a lucky escape on Monday after their plane crashed on landing and broke in half, local news website Detik.com reported.
The Chinese-made MA-60 aircraft, operated by state-owned Merpati Nusantara airlines, was coming in to land at an airport in East Nusa Tenggara province when the accident happened, said transport ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan.
The turboprop was carrying 46 passengers, AP reported, when it made a hard landing at the El Tari airport.
Several passengers were injured, but no fatalities were reported after the plane undershot the runway.
There were 52 people on board, 46 passengers and six crew, said Merpati spokesman Herry Saptanto.
"Two passengers sustained minor injuries from pieces of glass but they have left hospital and are now fine," he told AFP.
"The plane is badly damaged, I don’t think it can be used anymore."
Pictures showed the Chinese-made turbo-prop plane lying on its belly on the runway with its engines jammed facedown into the tarmac and its wings bent forward.
The airport will be closed for at least four hours until the plane can be removed, local transport authorities said. An investigation is underway.
In 2011, Indonesia banned MA60 aircraft from three airports on safety grounds, after one crashed killing 25 people.
Merpati has also been banned from flying in European Union airspace since 2007.
Source : e turbo news
