Peruvian airliner crashes

[Hani]

LIMA, Peru -- A Peruvian passenger plane carrying 100 people has crashed in a jungle a few kilometers short of its planned destination at Pucallpa's airport, killing at least 37 people, according to Peruvian officials.

TANS airline said 52 people had survived the crash, 50 passengers and two crew members, but said it could not provide an exact toll of deaths and injuries because victims were taken to three hospitals.

Those with minor injuries may even have slipped away and gone home, TANS said.

The airline said the pilot, who did not report mechanical problems, apparently was trying to make an emergency landing during stormy weather Tuesday afternoon.

Earlier, Peruvian officials said between 37 and 40 bodies were pulled from the wreckage before rescue efforts were halted. They were to resume in the difficult terrain at daybreak.

Airline spokesman Jorge Belevan said the Boeing 737, which left Lima with eight crew members and 92 passengers, went down at 3:06 p.m. (8:06 p.m. GMT) -- 10 minutes before it was to arrive at the airport, about 480 kilometers (300 miles) northeast of Lima. The flight takes about an hour.

Belevan said among those aboard were 11 Americans, two Italians, one Spaniard, one Colombian and one Australian.

Three of the passengers were children, he said.

According to a report from The Associated Press, the plane circled the airport until attempting to make the emergency landing.

The AP quoted local officials and radio reports that said the plane crashed near a highway, indicating the pilot was trying to land on the roadway.

A man identifying himself as William Zea, a passenger on the plane, told CPN radio that the plane "suffered some malfunction and we went down," AP reports.

Tomas Ruiz, another passenger, told Radioprogramas: "It seems it was a matter of the weather. Ten minutes before we were to land in Pucallpa the plane began to shake a lot."

Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo appeared on national television Tuesday to urge citizens to show "courage and solidarity with those involved" and affected by the crash.

A plane was to bring medical and other supplies Wednesday to the accident scene to aid rescue efforts.

Another TANS plane was to carry family members to the area, the airline said.

Pucallpa is a river city in eastern Peru with a population of more than 150,000.

In January 2003, a TANS airline crashed in Peru's northern jungle, killing more than 40 people.

Source CNN

February 3, 2005 - An Afghan airliner crashes into a mountain near Kabul, killing all 105 people on board. The Boeing 737 was operated by Afghanistan's only private airline, Kam Air.

August 2, 2005 - An Air France Airbus bursts into flames after overshooting the runway while landing at Toronto's Pearson International Airport in a storm, but all 309 passengers and crew survive.

August 14, 2005 - A Helios Airlines Boeing 737 crashes in the area of Kalamos, 30 km (19 miles) north of the Greek capital, Athens, killing all 121 passengers and crew on board.

August 16, 2005 - A West Caribbean Airways MD-80 aircraft crashes near Venezuela's border with Colombia, in the Sierra de Perija mountains. All 160 passengers and crew were killed.

August 23, 2005 - A Boeing 737-200 aircraft of Peru's state-run airline TANS with 100 people aboard crashes during a severe storm in the country's northeastern jungle, killing at least 40 people and injuring at least 20.

Source CNN

[Premgenius]

Just saw the news :(

[..Vector..]

Another plane crash :no:

[Code.Red]

Dang, another one? :(

[amrinders87]

This sucks. Just read it on google news. :(

[Commodore Max]

This is like the 5th airplane crash this month. What the hell is going on ?