24 AUG 2008 _______________________________________ *Plane crashes in Kyrgyz capital (B-737) *Kyrgyzstan plane crash kills dozens *Guatemala plane crash kills 10 (Cessna-208) *************************************** Plane crashes in Kyrgyz capital Itek Air is one of the many airlines banned from the EU A passenger plane has crashed shortly after take-off from Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek, killing a large number of those on board. The head of Kyrgyzstan's civil aviation authority said that out of about 90 passengers and crew, only about 20 people have survived. The Itek Air Boeing 737 took off bound for Mashhad, in north-eastern Iran, but turned round some 10 minutes later. An airport spokeswoman said the crew had reported a technical problem. The plane was returning to Bishkek airport but crashed before it could land, the spokeswoman said. Officials from a nearby US base said they were trying to help with the rescue effort. "At the moment rescue teams, fire brigades and medics are rushing to the crash site," a spokeswoman for the US air base located in Manas, 30km (20 miles) from Bishkek, told Russia's RIA news agency. Uncertainty There was confusion over the number of people on board - with reports ranging from 83 to 123. They were understood to include a Kyrgyz school basketball team. Prime Minister Igor Chudinov said 51 of the passengers were foreigners, including people from China, Turkey, Iran and Canada. It was not clear what had caused the plane to crash. The prime minister said the pilot had survived, but "it is difficult to talk to him right now". Airport employees said the fuselage of the plane was destroyed by flames and only the tail remained intact. Yelena Bayalinova, spokeswoman for the Kyrgyz health ministry, told the Interfax news agency that many victims of the crash had suffered burns, and that some were in critical condition. The plane belonged to Itek Air, a Kyrgyz company, but was reportedly operated by Iran Aseman Airlines. Itek Air is on a list of airlines banned from EU airspace because of fears over safety standards. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7580107.stm *************** Kyrgyzstan plane crash kills dozens Government official says about 60 people died and about 20 survived crash Crash happened near U.S. military base, which is helping with emergency response Aseman jet crashed six miles from runway after "technical difficulties" reported Plane was bound for Iran, officials say (CNN) -- A Iran-bound Boeing 737 with 90 people on board crashed Sunday near the airport in Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek, killing dozens of passengers, a government official said. The Boeing 737 crashed near the Bishkek airport in Kyrgyzstan on Sunday. The six crew members survived the crash, Ramis Satybekov, an official from Kyrgyzstan's Emergency Situations Ministry, told CNN. While he didn't have exact figures, he said roughly 60 passengers were killed and more than 20 people injured were taken to local hospitals, he said. Among the passengers was a Iranian airline representative, but his status was unknown, Satybekov said. Most of the 83 passengers were Iranian or Kyrgyz nationals. The crash happened near the U.S. military's Manas Air Base, which is helping with the emergency response. Flight IRC6895 took off at 8:30 p.m., but turned around a few minutes later after experiencing "technical difficulties," a spokeswoman at Manas International Airport told CNN. The crash happened minutes later, said the spokeswoman, who would not give her name. The Aseman Airlines flight, operated by Kyrgyzstan-based Itek Air, was bound for Tehran, Iran, an airport spokeswoman said. U.S. Air Force Maj. Damian Pickart said Kyrgyz authorities asked Manas Air Base for support shortly after the Aseman jet crashed about six miles off the runway. "The 376th Air Expeditionary Wing provided two large fire trucks, an ambulance and nearly two dozen medical and fire and crash support personnel to the scene of the accident," according to a military news release. "Medical personnel have also been requested to provide support at the Manas International Airport Terminal, which is adjacent to the base." Manas is a key support base for the U.S.-led military operation in Afghanistan. ***** Status: Preliminary Date: 24 AUG 2008 Time: ca 20:30 Type: Boeing 737-219 Operator: Itek Air Registration: EX-311 ? C/n / msn: 22088/676 First flight: 1980-06-16 Crew: Fatalities: / Occupants: 7 Passengers: Fatalities: / Occupants: 83 Total: Fatalities: 71 / Occupants: 90 Airplane damage: Written off Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: 2 km (1.3 mls) from Bishkek-Manas International Airport (FRU) (Kyrgyzstan) Phase: Unknown (UNK) Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Bishkek-Manas International Airport (FRU/UAFM), Kyrgyzstan Destination airport: Tehran-Mehrabad Airport (THR/OIII), Iran Flightnumber: 6895 Narrative: Iran Aseman Airlines Flight 6875 from Bishkek (FRU), Kyrgyzstan to Tehran (THR), Iran was carried out by Itek Air. The airplane reportedly departed about 20:30 and crashed shortly after takeoff. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the pilot had attempted to return to the airport for an emergency landing. METAR weather reported indicate that there was a thunderstorm with associated rain passing over Bishkek from 16:30 to 20:00 local time. Over that period the wind shifted from 220 degrees to 100 degrees at 20:30. Wind was blowing at about 6 kts, with wind variable at 23 knots. The temperature had dropped from 31 to 27 degrees C. The registration is said to have been EX-311, but this has not been confirmed yet by official reports. (aviation-safety.net) *************** Guatemala plane crash kills 10 including Americans GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — A small plane crashed in a field in eastern Guatemala on Sunday, killing 10 people, including five Americans, aviation and army officials said. The Cessna Caravan 208 was on route to the town of El Estor when it crashed in a field of crops about 60 miles (100 kilometers) east of Guatemala. Eight passengers were killed, along with the Guatemalan pilot and co-pilot, Civil Aviation official Jose Carlos said. He said five of the passengers killed were Americans, but nationalities of the other three had not been determined. Four other Americans on board were injured and were being airlifted to a hospital in the capital. Carlos did not know the hometowns of the Americans. Aero Ruta Maya, the airline operating the plane, said only 12 people were on the plane, including the pilots, a discrepancy that could not immediately be resolved. Joanne de Bickford, who said she was the daughter of the airline's owner and was helping manage the crisis, confirmed there were Americans on board. She said the airline did not know how many people died. The army provided a list of passengers, but the names appeared to be garbled. The U.S. Embassy did not immediately return calls seeking comment. ***** Status: Preliminary Date: 24 AUG 2008 Time: ca 09:40 Type: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan Operator: Aéreo Ruta Maya Registration: C/n / msn: First flight: Engines: 1 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A Crew: Fatalities: / Occupants: 2 Passengers: Fatalities: / Occupants: 12 Total: Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 14 Airplane damage: Written off Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: near Cabañas, Zacapa (Guatemala) Phase: En route (ENR) Nature: Passenger Departure airport: Guatemala City-La Aurora Airport (GUA/MGGT), Guatemala Destination airport: El Estor Airport, Guatemala Narrative: Crashed after reporting engine problems. (aviation-safety.net) ***************