The Turkish aircraft that careered off a runway and nearly into the sea had a problem with one of its engines said the pilot, according to Sky News, citing Turkish news agency Dogan.
Previously released photographs of the crash site, which show the plane just meters from the edge of the sea, also show an engine lying in the sea.
The Pegasus Airlines flight skidded off the runway after landing at an airport in northeast Turkey, stopping just short of the Black Sea as its wheels got stuck in mud.
On Monday Jan. 15, the Turkish news agency reported that the pilot said there was something wrong with one engine.
“When we were going to make our usual manoeuvre towards the right from the seaside by reducing our speed, the right engine suddenly gained speed for a reason we do not know,” the pilot told investigators, reported the Sun, citing Dogan.
“Due to this speed, the plane got out of our control and suddenly swung to the left and got stuck into the mud in the cliff.”
According to passenger reports, the plane lurched to one side before the plane plunged off the edge of the runway.
Pegasus Airlines confirmed in a statement that the Boeing 737-800 aircraft, flying from Ankara to Trabzon, “had a runway excursion incident”. The 162 passengers, two pilots and four cabin crew onboard were all unhurt, according to the airline.
“We tilted to the side, the front was down while the plane’s rear was up. There was panic; people shouting, screaming,” Fatma Gordu told state-run news agency Anadolu, reported AFP.
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