Emag.co.uk Entertainment News Leader
A Air Niugini plane crash-landed Friday morning trying to land at Chuuk Island in the Federated States of Micronesia. It is not yet known how many passengers were onboard, but is said all the people and crew members have survived.
Local news reports there were about fifty passengers onboard.
Footage shared on social networking sites and on several news websites shows the Boeing 737 plane is half-submerged in water and passengers are being rescued in boats. For many the images may have recollected the 2009 crash-landing in New York City which was famously called known ‘Miracle on the Hudson’.
Meanwhile, official statement from Air Niugini said all the passengers and crew members have been safely evacuated from the crashed plane and all efforts are additionally being made to ensure ongoing safety of the passengers.
The national airline of Papua New Guinea however didn’t mention anything about the origin of the plane and cause of crash.
Air Niugini is in operation since 1973 and its fleet includes Boeing 767 and 737 jets for international routes. For the local terrain the airline has Fokker F-100 aircraft, Q400 and Dash 8 aircraft.
Micronesia is lightly populated with just 100,000 people. It is east of the Philippines and north of Australia. It is alley to the United States under agreement called a compact of free association.
Landing planes into see or river is not new. In 2009 a powerless plane landed on the Hudson River when both its engines failed striking a flock of geese. The two pilots were Chesley Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles.
