Wed, Feb 25, 2009
Witness Says Plane's Nose Rose Sharply Before Crash, Plane Hit
Tail First
The National Transportation Safety
Board is sending a team of investigators to Amsterdam's Schiphol
International Airport, to assist in the investigation of a
B737-800 (T-CJGE) Turkish Airlines flight 1951, inbound from
Istanbul, that crashed short of the runway on approach at
approximately 10:40 am local time. At least 9 fatalities have been
reported among the 134 passengers and crew believed onboard.
CNN reports the aircraft impacted a field just short of the
runway. The plane appears to have struck the ground tail first,
with the fuselage cracked open just forward stabilizer; a second,
smaller crack is visible forward of the wing. There was no
post-impact fire.
RTL journalist Greg Crouch told CNN he saw the plane's nose
pitch sharply up just before impact. Weather conditions were
initially reported as calm and largely clear, but subsequent
reports state mist was present, with temperatures of 39 degrees
Fahrenheit and winds from the SSW at 12 mph.
One passenger on the plane told NTV there was no warning of any
onboard emergency, with the routine announcement for passengers to
fasten their seatbelts and prepare for landing the last comments
made before the accident. The passenger added he felt the pilots
throttle up the plane's engines just before feeling "turbulence,"
then a sudden drop.
Turkish Airlines has 52 737-800s in its fleet. The accident is
the first fatal crash at Schiphol since 1994.
NTSB Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker has designated senior air
safety investigator Joe Sedor as the US Accredited Representative.
He will be joined by three other NTSB investigators. The US team
will also include technical advisors from the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), Boeing and General Electric.
Information on the progress of the investigation will be
released by the Dutch Safety Board.
More News
From 2023 (YouTube Version): Legacy of a Titan Robert (Bob) Anderson Hoover was a fighter pilot, test pilot, flight instructor, and air show superstar. More so, Bob Hoover was an i>[...]
Get The Latest in Aviation News NOW on Instagram Are you on Instagram yet? It's been around for a few years, quietly picking up traction mostly thanks to everybody's new obsession >[...]
Aero Linx: B-52H Stratofortress The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic spee>[...]
Altimeter Setting The barometric pressure reading used to adjust a pressure altimeter for variations in existing atmospheric pressure or to the standard altimeter setting (29.92).>[...]
"Knowing that we play an active part in bettering people's lives is extremely rewarding. My team and I are very thankful for the opportunity to be here and to help in any way we ca>[...]