14 DAY TRIAL // A serious plane crash has taken place today in Holland, when a Turkish airliner collapsed to the ground while carrying 135 people. Preliminary reports hint at the fact that light fog was responsible for the crash, which nevertheless claimed the lives of 9 people, according to Dutch airport officials. An additional 50 were injured to some extent, they add, so the death toll could rise over the next few days. The tragedy has taken place on the Schiphol airport, the largest in Amsterdam.
The accident happened at 10:31 local time (0931 GMT), as flight TK 1951, belonging to the Turkish Airlines, crashed just short of its designated airstrip. “We cannot say anything about the cause at the moment. The priority of the authorities is providing help and care,” Haarlemmermeer acting Mayor Michel Bezuijen has told reporters in a statement.
The Boeing 737 airplane looked in a very rough shape following the crash, as early Dutch television reports showed. Next to the twisted fuselage lay what appeared to be the bodies of the victims, covered in plastic bags. The single-isled aircraft left little chances of escape for over 100 passengers, but at this point the seating arrangement is unknown. Being provided with details about it is important for investigators in order to determine how the 9 people died and why.
The force of the collision with the ground split the plane in three separate parts, with the rear-end, comprising the tail, separating itself completely from the rest of the craft. To the front, behind the cockpit, a huge crack separated this section from that of the passengers. Most likely, the victims must have been standing in one of these two parts when the accident happened, though, at this point, these are just speculations.
Immediately after the crash, all air traffic to Schiphol was interrupted or diverted towards other airports, but traveling resumed later during the day, once the security of the airstrip could be guaranteed. This is the most severe accident that has taken place in Amsterdam since 1992, when an El Al cargo plane collided with a high-rise near the airport, killing 43 people, 39 of which were on the ground.