Tunisair ATR-42 ditched before coast of Sicily

[Sebas]

A Tunisair ATR-42 has ditched in the sea before the coast of Palermo, Sicily according to the Italian press office Ansa.

The plane carried 35 passengers on it's way from Bari to Djerba.

Officials said the plane was experiencing technical difficulties and requested permission to land in Palermo, but missed its landing.

It's not yet known if there are any casualties.

[blackhawk]

Een vliegtuig van Tunis Air voor de kust van het Siciliaanse Palermo in zee terechtgekomen. Volgens de laatste gegevens wilde de piloot nog terugkeren naar Palermo, maar hij heeft de luchthaven niet gehaald. Blijkbaar heeft hij een noodlanding willen maken op het water. Er zouden al passagiers gezien zijn op de vleugels van het drijvende vliegtuig.
Het ongeval gebeurde ongeveer 13 kilometer voor de kust van Palermo. Er zouden zo’n 35 passagiers aan boord van het vliegtuig zijn geweest. Het vliegtuig vloog tussen Bari en Djerba.

De eerste reddingswerkers zijn ter plekke. Of er slachtoffers zijn, is nog niet bekend.

source: http://www.standaard.be/nieuws/buitenla ... 022&snel=1

In short: ATR-42 crashed into the ocean near Sicily.

[Avro]

It's apparently a Tuninter ATR42 TS-LBA who crashed.

And they are apparently several people who survived the crash that are waiting for the rescue team on the wing of the plane.

Chris

[Avro]

Here are some picture (only 2) of the plane http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.s ... entry=true

Chris

[Humberside]

And they are apparently several people who survived the crash that are waiting for the rescue team on the wing of the plane.

Hopefully a rescue team will get there soon

[waldova]

Let's hope they did an emergency landing on the water. In my opinion this could be the only way to have some survivors on the plain. If it reallly crashed I doubt if any person would come out of it alive. But let's hope! Let's hope they were as lucky as the Air France passengers in Toronto!

[sab319]

second Crash in a month, I'm beginning to doubt wether I should step in my plane friday...

Anyway, Let's hope everyone survived this incident and that the cause of the accident becomes clear.

[Comet]

Bad news, but let's hope everyone can get out alive.

[Avro]

As waldova said it was more an emergency landing on water than a crash. This means that the plane didn't really broke up but is still floating. Thanks to that people were able to excape, but I fear that there are several deads.....

@Sab319 don't worry

Chris

[LX-LGX]

Wonder which newspaper will be the first one to blame the pilot or co-pilot.

The Flemish newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws shows a picture of a TU 737...

http://www.hln.be/hln/cch/det/art_107129.html

[Avro]

Pff a 737 of Tunisair and the plane that crashed isn't even from that company.... Talking about reliable media....

[SAB021]

za 06/08/05 - Voor de kust van het Italiaanse eiland Sicilië is een Tunesisch passagiersvliegtuig in zee terechtgekomen. Het toestel is een ATR42 van Tunis Air. Het tweemotorige vliegtuig zou vijfendertig passagiers vervoerd hebben.


Het kleine, gecharterde toestel was op weg van het Zuid-Italiaanse Bari naar het Tunesische eiland Djerba.

Onderweg moet het technische problemen gekregen hebben, want de piloot had toestemming gevraagd voor een noodlanding op het vliegveld van Palermo. Dat heeft hij niet gehaald, want het toestel is neergekomen in volle zee op zo'n 13 kilometer van de kustlijn. Over slachtoffers is nog niets bekend.

Volgens de eerste berichten zijn minstens zeven passagiers of bemanningsleden uit het toestel gekropen. Ze zouden nu op de vleugels van het toestel staan, dat voorlopig nog blijft drijven.

De reddingsoperatie is momenteel volop aan de gang. Vier schepen van de kustwacht zijn vertrokken vanuit Palermo. Helikopters zijn opgestegen vanop een legerbasis in de buurt.


(http://www.vrtnieuws.net)


The plane is still floating on the water, about 13 km from the coastal line. Rescue teams are operating right now. Four coast guard ships departed from Palermo and some helicopters are on their way from a nearby army base.

Let's hope everyone survives this!

[HorsePower]

Here are some picture (only 2) of the plane

Chris, more pictures are available if you scroll down .

At least 7 passengers are alive and are waiting on the wings.

Regards

Seb.

[Avro]

Here are some picture (only 2) of the plane

Chris, more pictures are available if you scroll down .

You are right. The stupid ad is to blame

[beaucaire]

P-Prune post makes reference to this aircraft being the one involved :
( source palermo ATC )
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/852635/M/

[B744skipper]

CNN reports:

Italian Media: 24 people have been rescued.
Italian Media: 9 people have been killed in the crash.

I guess that the fact that the prop could fly slower then a jet (when trying to ditch) has made it possible to land with an airframe that is very much intact and so that people can survive and get out.
Also the fact that the wings are high-mounted on the ATR-42 helps that the aircraft does not turn over and/or brakes up when hitting the water (like the Ethiopian B767).

It seems to be a bad week for aviation, but on the other hand a good one, given that there have been so many survivors in the severe crashes.

Edit: CNN reports that 9 people have now been dead.

[realplaneshaveprops]

The "bad" water landing of the Ethiopian B767 was because of the hijackers entering the cockpit again and taking control. They started a left turn, left wing hit the water and the plane crashed and broke up.

Koen

[HorsePower]

39 people on board:

14 dead
05 missing
20 alive

[A318]

39 people on board:

14 dead
05 missing
20 alive

Small correction
35 passengers and 4 crew memebers
19 people didn't survive the ditch
20 people did but some of them have life threat injuries.

Pilot survived the crash and already informed authorities he was losing power on both engines.
One month ago the airplane got a check in Italy.

[HorsePower]

The aircraft appears to be TS-LBB. Only the middle fuselage section and the wing were floating. The nose and the tail sank.

Seb.