The authorities in Turkey said at least three people were dead and another 179 injured after a plane skidded off the runway Wednesday at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport, crashing into a field and breaking into pieces.
Passengers were seen climbing out of their own accord through cracks in the plane, which had 183 passengers and crew members on board. Others were evacuated by emergency services.
Television footage showed serious damage to the plane, with the fuselage appearing to be broken into three pieces.
The plane, belonging to the low-cost airline Pegasus, arrived from the city of Izmir, private NTV television reported. Turkey’s Transportation Ministry described it as a “rough landing”.
Istanbul’s Governor Ali Yerlikaya said the plane landed in bad weather, failed to “hold on to the runway” and skidded 50 to 60 metres before crashing into a ditch from a height of some 30 metres.
“We are deeply saddened… (But) we are very happy that we escaped a greater accident,” he said, adding that the plane could have burst into flames.
NTV television reported that the plane caught fire after skidding but said it had been extinguished. It also said the injured included the plane’s two pilots, who were in a serious condition.
It broadcast what it said was a recording of communications between the pilots and air traffic control in which the pilots were told that previous flights had reported strong tail winds.
According to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, the plane is a Boeing 737 and was 11 years old. Pegasus is a privately-owned, low-cost carrier based in Istanbul. Its routes are mainly in Turkey but also to other destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia.
The airport was shut down after the accident, which happened at around 6.30pm local time (1530 GMT). Flights were diverted to Istanbul’s main airport.
Video obtained by The Associated Press showed the wreckage of the plane in a field next to the end of the runway. It shows heavy rain and strong winds, with smoke coming from one of the engines as passengers climb out of the fuselage onto the wings of the plane to get away.
