Passengers on the Turkish airliner that crash-landed and crumpled into pieces in Istanbul, killing three people, say the plane’s descent felt unusually fast and left those on board screaming and panicking.
Engin Demir, who was among the 180 people injured in the crash, told NTV television that he really noticed the speed as the Boeing 737 operated by low-cost Pegasus Airline landed at Sabiha Gokcen Airport on Wednesday evening.
Coming in amid strong winds and heavy rain, the plane overshot the runway. It skidded about 50 to 60 meters (165 to 200 feet) before dropping into a 30-meter (98-foot) high ditch, according to the city’s governor, Ali Yerlikaya. The 11-year-old plane broke into three pieces, forcing passengers to squeeze out through cracks in the plane’s fuselage or climb onto its damaged wings.
