NEWS: Tunisian Airliner Crashes off Polermo Italy

A small airliner has crashed near Silicy with approximately 35 people on board. Emergency crews are enroute according to CNN. More details as they become available



Very few details are available at this time since it is a breaking news story.

What bothers me is the fact it reportedly went down in the water and that could mean a loss of life in most instances. Lets hope I am wrong.

Early reports out of Ansa news say the plane may be floating in the water. That is an unconfirmed report.

It is also being reported that the pilot of Tunis Air's Flight 1153 had been trying to make an emergency landing at Palermo airport.

ABC Internationsl news is reporting it was a Jet, but that is wrong the plane is a turbo prop aircraft.

[edit on 8/6/2005 by shots]

[edit on 8/6/2005 by shots]

From ABC NewsA Tunis Air passenger plane went down in the sea Saturday off the Sicilian coast on a flight from Bari, Italy, to Tunisia, the Palermo airport tower said.

"It landed in the sea," Vito De Blasi, a tower official told The Associated Press. Alberto Pellegrino, a spokesman for the air traffic safety agency ENAV told SKY TV TG24 that rescuers were on their way to the craft with 35 passengers on board but the passengers' fate wasn't clear.

Link To Story!

Seems some passengers have been seen around the aircraft in the Sea... though there is still little info:

A number of survivors have been seen in the water outside the plane - which was on its way from the Italian town of Bari to Tunisia when it went down.

BBC

Aerospatialte-Aeritalia ATR-42.Aerospatiale (Italy, France) ATR-42 first flew in 1984. it has has cruising speed of 308 mph and a range of 1,209 miles. it can carry 42-50 passengers. There are several versions: ATR-42, ATR-42F (freighter), ATR-42-500 (improved engines, airframe and interior, longer range), ATR-72 (fuselage stretched by 14.8 feet), ATR-72-500 (improved engines).

Source

Also the recent very lucky crash in Canada, and in the Uk today:

Plane crash-lands in city street. An aeroplane has crash-landed in a street on the outskirts of Cardiff (UK). South Wales Police said the twin-seater Cessna 150 light aircraft had to make an emergency landing in Wentloog Road, St Mellons, on Saturday afternoon.

BBC

The Submarine incident with the Russians and the Space Shuttle, seems wierd, but probably jut coincidence.

Elf

[edit on 6-8-2005 by MischeviousElf]

Good news; Twenty people have reportedly been rescued according to some reports. Unfortunately 5 others are reported dead.

[edit on 8/6/2005 by shots]

Is it a coincidence that lately there have been quite alot of plane related accidents? First the Canadian incident, then the smoke in the cabin incident in the UK and now this Italian incident.

Originally posted by subz
Is it a coincidence that lately there have been quite alot of plane related accidents? First the Canadian incident, then the smoke in the cabin incident in the UK and now this Italian incident.

I would tend to think it is just a coincidence. Air France = possible human error in combination with an act of god.

Tunisian crash = mechanical problem.

Do not know anything on the smoke filled plane so cannot coment on that.

If that does not seem to be acceptable, we can always fall back on the old superstition that says "All bad things happen in threes".


Smacks fingers for typos

[edit on 8/6/2005 by shots]

CNN is now reporting 20 survivors and 14 dead

What bothers me is they reported an engine problem and yet they had to crash into the sea. I thought two engine planes were supposed to fly with only one? All I can think of is the media is leaving out part of the story.



[edit on 8/6/2005 by shots]

19 dead and 20 survivors. Nine of the survivors were reported in serious condition. All the passengers were italian.

ABC News 19 Die in Plane Crash Near Sicily

Originally posted by shots
I would tend to think it is just a coincidence. Air France = possible human error in combination with an act of god.

Can you please explain what you mean there. What do you mean "with an act of god"?

Originally posted by subz

Originally posted by shots
I would tend to think it is just a coincidence. Air France = possible human error in combination with an act of god.

Can you please explain what you mean there. What do you mean "with an act of god"?

There were reports that lightening might have hit the aircraft during landing, that is when I assume the lights went out as reported by passengers.