Plane skids off Istanbul runway and breaks into pieces, 52 injured

ISTANBUL (AP) — A plane skidded off the runway Wednesday as it tried to land in Istanbul, crashing into a field and breaking into pieces. Passengers had to evacuate through cracks in the smashed plane and authorities said at least 52 people were injured.

The low-cost Pegasus Airlines plane was arriving at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport from the western Turkish city of Izmir when it crash-landed and broke into at least three pieces.

The Transportation Ministry said there had been no deaths in what it called a “rough landing.”

In a video obtained by The Associated Press, the wreckage of the plane was in a field adjacent to the end of the runway.

The video shows heavy rain and strong winds at the time, with smoke coming from one of the engines.

Passengers were climbing out of the fuselage onto the wings of the plane and away from the crash site.

Dozens of rescue crew members swarmed around the flood-lit fuselage, including around the cockpit, which had flipped over.

The plane was a Boeing 737 that was 11 years old, according to the flight tracking website Flightradar24.

Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya said at least 52 people were injured in the accident and had been hospitalised.

His office said the plane was carrying 177 people, including six crew members.

NTV television said the injured included the plane’s two pilots, who it said were in serious condition.

The airport was shut down after the crash landing and flights were being diverted to Istanbul’s main airport.

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