At Least 6 Dead, 10 Missing in
Brazil Plane Crash
Brasilia - A small airplane carrying at
least20 people crashed into a tributary of the Amazon River in
northwestern Brazil on Saturday, killing at least six people
onboard, news reports said.
Four people survived and were sent to a local hospital. They were
said to have been seated towards the tail of the plane.
Six bodies have been pulled out of the Manacapuru river by Saturday
night, firefighters said. The rest of them were listed missing.
There were conflicting reports of the number of people aboard the
aircraft. The Air Force said a pilot had reported 20 people onboard.
But the Aerotaxi Manaus company, which owned the aircraft, said the
plane was carrying 24 people, including four children and two crew
members.
The aircraft, a Bandeirante PT-SEA, can reportedly carry 16
passengers or 1,500 kilograms of cargo.
The plane left the city of Coari in Amazonas state for the state
capital Manaus at 12:38 p.m. (1738 GMT) under warning of strong
winds and rain. It asked permission to return shortly after takeoff
because of the bad weather, said the company.
The plane disappeared from the radar screen and lost contact with
the air traffic control center after the center consented to its
request, the company said.
Around 14:00 p.m. (1900 GMT), the plane crashed into the river when
the pilots tried to land the plane on an abandoned runway in the
town of Manacapuru.
Divers of the local fire department have located the aircraft, and
an investigation is underway to identify the cause of the accident.
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