Flight International online news 10:30GMT: Peruvian carrier TANS has confirmed that 57 people survived the Boeing 737-200 crash on 23 August near the city of Pucallpa, although it remains unclear exactly how many were on board the aircraft.
The airline has said that 92 passengers and eight crew members were on board TANS flight 204, which was operating between Lima and Pucallpa when it crashed while attempting to make an emergency landing.
However, a Boeing says the aircraft was carrying 92 passengers and seven crew members.
TANS also confirmed the aircraft’s registration is OB-1809, a 1981 model that is owned by South African lessor Safair and was leased to state-owned TANS in June.
The 737-200 crashed at 15:06 local time during an emergency landing attempt in “adverse weather conditions,” says TANS. Boeing says there is no indication that the pilot made an emergency call prior to the incident.
A team, led by the head of the country’s Aviation Accident Investigation Commission, Guido Fernandez Lanas, is currently investigating the wreckage to determine the cause of the crash.
The aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder, if recovered, will be sent to the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington DC for inspection.
Peruvian daily El Comercio quotes an airline official as saying it will take between two and four months to determine the cause of the accident.
Reports say the aircraft split in two when it landed in a marshy area near Pucallpa airport. A fire reportedly destroyed some of the aircraft.
KERRY EZARD/WASHINGTON DC
Source: Flight International
