Sky News has reported that a Pegasus Airlines aircraft has skidded off the runway at Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) and crashed into a road.
A thunderstorm passing by the airport at the time brought gusty winds to the area. From the footage, the fuselage of the aircraft is split into three.
The aircraft, with registration TC-IZK, is a Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated under flight number PC2193. The flight is from Izmir Adnan Menderes International Airport (ADB).
TC-IZK was delivered in February 2009 and is currently at the age of 11. It belonged to Air Berlin until May 2016.
Due to the crash, Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport is currently closed. Flights suppose to land are either holding or diverting.
The transportation minister, Mehmet Cahit Turhan, said the accident, which occurred at about 6:30 p.m. local time, was the result of a “rough landing,”
Three people were killed and 179 were hurt, according to the Turkish health minister. There were 183 people on board, including six crew members.
In a statement, the airline confirmed that it was involved in the Wednesday incident:
Pegasus Airlines is deeply saddened to confirm that following the accident on 5 February 2020 involving Pegasus Airlines flight PC 2193, on a TC-IZK registered Pegasus Airlines aircraft, flying from Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport, there have now been three fatalities, as confirmed by official sources.
Pegasus Airlines shares in the profound sorrow of all the people affected by this tragic accident. Above all, we would like to express our profound sympathy and heartfelt condolences to those families and friends who have lost loved ones and extend our thoughts to them at this difficult time. Our injured passengers continue to be treated in hospital and we wish them all a swift recovery.
Pegasus Airlines
On January 7, another Pegasus plane skidded off a runway at the same airport. No one was injured in that incident.
Cover Picture: Sky News