Scores Survive Plane Crash In Amsterdam; 9 Dead
AMSTERDAM — A Dutch investigator looking into the crash of a Turkish Airlines jetliner says the plane apparently lost speed and “fell out of the sky.”
The plane plowed into a muddy field near the Amsterdam airport, and somehow, out of the 134 people on board, 125 of them survived.
The nine dead include both pilots.
The plane broke into three pieces when it hit the ground after a flight from Istanbul. But it did not catch fire.
Experts say the muddy landing surface, and the fact that the plane had probably used up most of its fuel, may have helped prevent a fire that would have taken many more lives.
One survivor says the crash was over in five to 10 seconds, as some passengers screamed in panic. He told Turkish NTV television he crawled to safety from a crack in the fuselage.
About 50 people were hurt, including six who are in critical condition.
