AIRLINER CRASHES

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29108, 21 January 1960, Page 13

AIRLINER CRASHES

42 Die In Turkey (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) ANKARA (Turkey), Jan. 20. Forty - two persons died when a Frenchbuilt Caravelle jet of the Scandinavian Airlines system crashed into a hill near Esenborg Airport, Ankara, last night. Thirty-two passengers, including two children, and seven crew died in the flaming wreckage of the sleek French-built airliner. Rescuers found three survivors, but they died soon afterwards. No official passenger list was available early this morning, but a British couple are known to be among those killed. They were

said to be Mr and Mrs Hugh McKellen, who boarded the plane at Istanbul.

A team of experts was on its way to the scene from Scandinavia early today to inquire into the crash, which occurred as the aircraft was about to land on a flight from Stockholm by way of Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, Vienna, and Istanbul.

Airport authorities said the airliner—the first Caravelle to crash since the plane went into service last May—lost height rapidly as it approached the airport, and hit a hill with one wing as it turned. The aircraft broke up and exploded in flames as its fuel tanks caught fire.

No Distress Signal

No distress signal was ever received from the ill-fated aircraft, which had finished receiving instructions for a normal landing. The weather was reported to be “quite good,” though light rain was falling. Visibility was about 12 miles. The Turkish Prime Minister (Mr Menderes) —who himself narrowly escaped death in an airliner crash near Gatwick Airport, England, last Februaryrushed to the scene with other Cabinet Ministers when informed of the crash. v Rescuers who arrived there within five minutes of the crash could not get near the flaming wreckage at first. Some farmers in the area said the plane appeared to catch fire and explode before striking the hill, but other reports said the explosion and fire followed the crash.

Wreckage was spread over a wide area and many of the bodies were mutilated beyond recognition, some still strapped in their seats.

In Stockholm, a spokesman for S.A.S. said the passenger list included five persons from Sweden, three from Norway, two from Britain and others from Denmark, France, Germany, Austria, Turkey, Lebanon. Poland, Canada and the United States. In Stockholm, S.A.S. said its six Caravelles had flown about 7500 hours since they were introduced for regular traffic on May 15, 1959. Up to December 15, 1959, more than 80,000 passengers had used them.