Plane Wreckage Found, All 46 Aboard Dead

After an extended search in pretty tasking conditions, searchers found the wreck of a TANS PERU Fokker F28 Twinjet in mountainous terrain. A two day search revealed that all 46 on board perished when the aircraft slammed into the side of a mountain 7545 feet above sea level. 

The aircraft went down Thursday, reporting an emergency, shortly before it was to arrive at Chachapoyas, 390 miles north of Lima. Transport Minister Javier Reategui reported that, "Unfortunately, the aircraft crashed directly into... Cerro Coloque at an altitude of 7,545 feet. The impact disintegrated the plane."

The wreckage was reportedly spread over a 1200 foot wide area and both the CVR and FDR have already been recovered. The search was hampered by heavy rain and fog, while the site was ultimately found after searchers had to climb a near vertical cliff to gain access to the impact area.

The aircraft, a Fokker F28, was billeted as Flight 222. There were 42 passengers, 4 crew members on board when it disappeared just minutes before its scheduled landing. The Fokker left Chiclayo shortly after 0800 for what was to be a 30 minute flight. Contact with the flight was lost at 0843, after the pilots called the 6300' runway in sight.

FMI: www.tansperu.com.pe