eNews 2.0, "U.S. Team Helps
With Deadly Turkish Plane Crash Investigation"
Officials and news reports said U.S. team
of investigators inspected the site of a deadly plane crash on Sunday
for clues to what caused the accident that killed 57 people. A team from
Boeing, which has acquired the aircraft manufacturer McDonnell Douglas,
and from jet engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney visited the crash
site and met with a Turkish prosecutor leading the investigation.
A Transport
Ministry official confirmed that a U.S. team of experts was in Turkey.
He asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the
media. It is usual for the aircraft's manufacturer to assist in any investigation
of plane accidents. The Atlasjet MD-83 was flying from Istanbul to Isparta
in Turkey's southwest when it crashed into a mountain early Friday, killing
all 50 passengers and seven crew members.
Weather conditions and visibility
were good when the plane suddenly disappeared from the radar a few minutes
before it was supposed to land, officials said. A transcript of the conversation
between the Atlasjet pilot and the Isparta control tower, released by
the Dogan news agency, did not indicate any problem. An initial study
of the crash site pointed to pilot error, suggesting that the pilot had
veered several kilometers (miles) off the inbound course during the nighttime
landing, reports said Sunday.
