DisPatchThis
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- Aug 1, 2005
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- 11
MSNBC News Services
Updated: 12:43 p.m. ET Aug. 16, 2005
CARACAS, Venezuela - A plane carrying some 160 people, mostly vacationers from the French Caribbean island of Martinique, crashed Tuesday in western Venezuela after reporting engine trouble and France's civil aviation authority later said all aboard had died.
France said 153 passengers, all French citizens from Martinique, were on board, while the airline listed 152. The eight crew were from Colombia, where the airline is based.
The West Caribbean Airways MD-82 jet was headed from Panama to Martinique, a French territory, when its pilot reported engine trouble to the Caracas airport, said Francisco Paz, president of Venezuela's aviation authority.
Airport authorities lost radio contact with the plane later in the area of Machiques, he said.
“Residents in the area said they heard an explosion,” Paz said.
Venezuelan army Maj. Javier Perez, who was directing search operations at the site, said “There is no evidence anyone is alive.”
Let the speculation begin, although it already has according to NBC.
Another Sad day in Commercial Aviation.
Updated: 12:43 p.m. ET Aug. 16, 2005
CARACAS, Venezuela - A plane carrying some 160 people, mostly vacationers from the French Caribbean island of Martinique, crashed Tuesday in western Venezuela after reporting engine trouble and France's civil aviation authority later said all aboard had died.
France said 153 passengers, all French citizens from Martinique, were on board, while the airline listed 152. The eight crew were from Colombia, where the airline is based.
The West Caribbean Airways MD-82 jet was headed from Panama to Martinique, a French territory, when its pilot reported engine trouble to the Caracas airport, said Francisco Paz, president of Venezuela's aviation authority.
Airport authorities lost radio contact with the plane later in the area of Machiques, he said.
“Residents in the area said they heard an explosion,” Paz said.
Venezuelan army Maj. Javier Perez, who was directing search operations at the site, said “There is no evidence anyone is alive.”
Let the speculation begin, although it already has according to NBC.
Another Sad day in Commercial Aviation.