Plane Crash in Indonesia The plane crashed in a crowded Medan neighborhood killing at least 147 people
Crash kills many Plane crashed shortly after taking off from Medan on Monday Killed 102 on board and 47 on the ground Cause of the crash is still unknown to authorities
Mandala Airlines Jetliner Boeing 112 passengers and 5 crew Flight to Jakarta, Indonesia Left from Medan’s Polonia airport Mandala Airlines Flight 091
Survivors Miraculously 15 passengers in the tail of the plane survived, including a toddler and are being treated at a local hospital Survivors said the plane started shaking at takeoff and failed to clear landing systems at the end of the runway The airplane clipped a riverbank, swerved right and plowed into homes on a busy street
Plane causes inferno in neighborhood The plane crashed into one of the busiest streets in a Medan neighborhood Homes began to catch fire immediately At least 12 homes were destroyed and 5 to 6 minibuses
One Woman’s Story “At first I heard a bang and then I looked up (to the ceiling) and there were balls of fire and then my son and daughter-in-law came to get me,” said Mariam sitting in the blackened wreckage of her home.
Investigation Police found the black box and flight recorder late Monday night It will be sent overseas for investigation At this point too early to determine the cause of the crash President Yudhoyona ordered and investigation by the transportation minister Mandala says foul play in unlikely
Background Information Second plane crash in less than a year: in November of last year a plane in Java skidded off the runway killing 31 and injuring dozens more The aircraft was built in 1981 and fit for 8 more years of flying Worst Indonesian crash in 1997 was a Garuda flight killing all 222 passengers and 12 crew
More Background Mandala Airlines is one of Indonesia’s oldest private carriers Medan is 885 miles NW of Jakarta on Sumatra island One of Indonesia’s busiest airports Major gateway for aid into the tsunami- hit Aceh province
The Devastation