UAE | Emergencies
Six die in cargo plane crash near Sharjah airport
Eyewitnesses say pilot of ill-fated Sudanese Boeing 707 tried his best to avoid going down over populated areas
- By Mariam Al Serkal, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 October 22, 2009
Sharjah: All six people on board a Khartoum-bound Sudanese cargo plane that crashed near Sharjah airport yesterday have been declared dead, and their bodies as well as the plane's black box have been retrieved, Sharjah authorities confirmed yesterday.
Flight FB2241, a Boeing 707 belonging to Azza Air and leased to Sudan Air, was carrying general cargo. It crashed at 3.29pm, two minutes after takeoff in a deserted area. There were no casualties on the ground.
The cause of the crash is still unknown. An investigation is under way.
Colonel Waheed Al Serkal, Director General of Sharjah Civil Defence, said it took two hours to douse the fire.
Eyewitnesses, including a pilot who flies out of Sharjah airport, said the pilot of the ill-fated aircraft, Captain Mohammad Ali, tried to avoid crashing into a populated area, veering the plane to empty land.
Ali Salem Al Midfa, Director of Sharjah International Airport, said the runway was shut for about ninety minutes. Eight flights were diverted.
A Kish Airlines flight crashed near Sharjah International Airport in February 2004, killing 43 of 46 people aboard the aircraft.
The twin-engined Fokker 50 aircraft crashed at the Sharjah-Ajman border in Al Ramaqiah residential areas.
— With inputs from Saifur Rahman, Business Editor, Mahmood Saberi, Senior Reporter and Siham Al Najami and AbbasAl Lawati, Staff Reporters
More from UAE Emergencies
More from UAE
Latest news
- Tracks to be laid on recycled material
- Golden Hour crucial to a patient's survival
- Opening show worthy of UAE
- Sun is shining on prospects for solar power
- Artists focus on craftsmanship
- World leaders committed to supporting civilians
- Schools open a new page in teaching English
- Special parking to help disabled tourists
- Blind woman lights up corridors of power
- Helping hand surgeons have long sought
- In Mind
- At times, I think of committing suicide
- Designer of a creative haven
- Fund to help Dubai taxi drivers' families
- New life-saving fleet of vehicles
Community Reports
-
Warming up to ‘Mobilise the Earth' theme
Dubai school dedicates a whole week to celebrating Earth Day with can-collection drives, sapling plantation and painting competition among others
-
Drivers using mobiles put others' lives at risk
Speeding is dangerous for the driver and other motorists
-
Supporting the needy with food supplies
Group of families engaged in serving isolated labour community hopes to motivate more people to help underprivileged and hungry
-
Leukaemia boy granted wish to meet footballer
Emirati meets hero Al Qahtani, Al Ain team
