Plane Crash In Kyrgyzstan Kills Dozens

Officials Blame Technical Problems For Bringing Down Iran-Bound Jet; 65 Killed

(AP)  Emergency workers combed through the wreckage of a passenger jet Monday after it crashed outside Kyrgyzstan's main airport, killing 65 people in an accident officials said was likely caused by technical problems.

The Boeing 737 was headed to the Iranian capital, Tehran, when it crashed Sunday near Bishkek's Manas International Airport, government officials said. Twenty-five people survived the accident.

The crew reported a technical malfunction only five minutes into the flight, and it crashed shortly as it headed back to the airport, Transport and Communications Minister Nurlan Salaimanov said.

The plane burst into flames upon hitting a field about seven miles outside the airport. Survivors said they had to kick open a rear exit in order to climb to safety from the smoke-filled jet.

Government spokeswoman Roza Daudova said the crash resulted from a loss of cabin pressure, but she offered no theories as to the cause of the decompression. The plane belonged to the Kyrgyz company Itek Air, which was banned from operating in European Union's airspace because of failure to meet safety and aviation standards.

A U.S. air base in the ex-Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan supports operations in nearby Afghanistan, but Salaimanov ruled out terrorism as a cause of the crash.

"Without a doubt, this was not a terrorist act," Salaimanov told reporters Monday.

The plane carried 83 passengers - including members of a high school sports team - along with six crew members and an aviation official. Salaimanov said 25 people survived the crash - 11 Iranians and 14 Kyrgyz citizens - including the entire crew. Twenty-two were being treated in Bishkek hospitals and three people were sent home without serious injuries.

Daudova had earlier said that 68 people were killed and only 22 survived.

Iranian citizen Ali Hazemi said that shortly after the plane took off, the pilot announced that the jet was returning to Bishkek because of engine failure. After the plane turned around, it dove sharply and crashed within minutes.

"I felt a wave of hot air sweeping all over me and a terrible smell of burning," said Hazemi, 39, who was being treated in a Bishkek hospital. "I immediately unfastened the safety belt and fell to the floor. The air was cooler there and we could breath."

Hazemi found himself outside after another passenger managed to kick out a rear exit. He then returned to the burning jet to rescue his two sisters. "I can't believe I survived. It's a miracle."

Daudova said that passengers included 24 Kyrgyz citizens, 52 Iranians, three Kazakhs, two Canadians, one citizen of Turkey and one Chinese.

Salaimanov said the passengers included a basketball team from a Bishkek high school. But presidential adviser Tokon Mamytov said that the athletes were volleyball, not basketball players.

Emergency officials have already retrieved two black box flight recorders and investigators were trying to determine the cause of the crash.

Kyrgyzstan is a poor, mountainous country west of China. Bishkek, the capital and largest city, has a population about 1 million and is situated in the north of the Central Asian nation.

Manas International Airport is about 16 miles northwest of downtown.

[tperciac]

A lota questions about the statements put out regarding this crash.
(1)A plane that just took off does not need to worry about a loss of cabin pressure since the difference is minor, till you start getting over 10,000ft. (2)Engine failures often occur (including on takeoff)and return safely. People have filmed engine fires while in the air and then posted on youtube because they are still alive. (3)You can not "kick-out" an airline door since they are designed to withstand far more force than a human could put out while under pressure. Which is why you can not open an emergency exit door while in the air.
Anyway, like most crashes not one thing caused the crash. I am willing to bet that the Spanair flight did not have their flaps extended (because of multiple reasons)although the media is focusing on an engine failures (take-offs include this possibility) and an temperature probe failure. See the DC-9 crash in Detroit 1987.

[missingamerica]

"The plane belonged to the Kyrgyz company Itek Air, which was banned from operating in European Union''s airspace because of failure to meet safety and aviation standards."

I''ve ridden lots of rickety old buses across the pond.

But rickety old jet aircraft? Methinks the chicken that flew out the hole in the bus would not translate so well at 20,000 feet.

[kennedy7955]

Iran isn''t blaming the USA for the crash? Wow, now that is progress!

[airboatboy]

With the price of scrap metal these days too bad it didn''t crash here.

[hbevis]

There has been to many plane''s that have crashed in the last few weeks. What is going on in this world. Is there something going on that people are messing with airplane''s and causing these crashes??

There are a lot of people around the World that have lost loved ones, for whatever reason...

God will have to take care of the lost ones and we, the people, will try and take care of the Families of the lost.

[garbagestopr]

The UN authorization was to repel Iraq from Kuwait and was NOT an authorization to invade Iraq. Moreover, the authorization was given to the government of Kuwait, NOT the United States.

Read it fool.
Posted by Nancy_Naive at 07:31 PM : Aug 24, 2008


What ON EARTH does this have ANYTHING TO DO With this ARTICLE NANCY?!?!??!?!

Do you not have any compassion for HUMAN LIFE AT ALL!

This article is about a tragic plane crash!!

[stevex47]

Sorry for those that lost their lives or were hurt in this crash.

Iranians are great people. Their government just sucks big.

[patriot12436]

Why is everyone tqalking about the invasion of Georgia by Russia ? This story is about a plane crash.

[shanev137]

It (Russia) is the first country to invaded a sovereign nation without UN and International approval since the cold war.


-------------


Wrong.

Our invasion of Iraq set the precedent for preemptive strikes against sovereign nations.

[osidepops]

Lets try a conspiracy theory! Note to CBS News ; this is not a fabrication, but a What if; The Irainans were gathering information on both the U.S. bases in that area and were transfering it via someone or several someones returning on that plane to Iran so it was sabotaged to prevent the information from getting to it''s destination by an unnamed organization.
I am also suprised the several of the earlier comments directly blame the Iranians! The article did mention that the country that the airline originated from was poor and that same airline is barred from operation in several markets ( most likley because of their poor maintenance practices.)

[wogerwabbit]

Time to invade Iran. Enough is enough.
Posted by TomFlint69 at 03:31 PM : Aug 24, 2008

You go first. In fact, get all your like minded buddies together and we can ship you all there. We can even parachute you in if you really want a thrill.

[yongamerica]

What is going on in this world? How many is that in the last week?

I wish peace and sympathy to those who have survived these catastrophes

[pollroller1]

Yep better start bombing Iran. We just can''t have them crashing these airplanes. LOL

[yongamerica]

Iran is a bug bite compared to the damage the NEW Soviet Union is willing to do. It is the first country to invaded a sovereign nation without UN and International approval since the cold war. It is occupying foreign soil hoping to use its gains to run oil and gas lines into Europe.

Europe needs to recognize Russia is no friend and terminate its dependence on its energy resources.

A big but lesser important question is: How is Russians current invasion practices going to affect its participation with the International Space Station?

[rosieod4prez]

Yup- sooner or later, those Iranians are going to wise up. The trade sanctions imposed due to the wonderful Iranian Government''s irresponsible acts, just caused those nice people some lives.