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Crash-landing of Biman's F-28 in Sylhet

A new lease of life for 88

By Iqbal Siddiquee in Sylhet and Masud Arif in Dhaka
AH the 84 passengers and four crew of the Sylhet-bound F-28 aircraft of the Biman miraculously escaped death when it crash-landed on a mud flat of a lake, about eight-km from the runway of Sylhet Os-many Airport on Monday
passengers and the four crew were injured, 10 seriously. They were rushed to the MAG Osmany Medical College Hospital in Sylhet.
Civil Aviation authorities said yesterday 17 of the Injured were under treatment at the
hospital and the rest were given first aid and released in the morning.
The passengers of the flight included 29 women, two children. one infant and 52 men.
The BG-609 flight met with the accident about four minutes before its scheduled landing at Sylhet airport.
Flight captain Mannan, who was also injured, landed the 16-year-old Fokker on the mud plains at Omorgaon village, about eight-km from the airport. at about 10.40 pm.
He crash-landed the aircraft
after losing contact with the Sylhet control tower at 10.36 pm. when it also disappeared from the radar, prompting a frantic scanning of thehorizon by worried air traffic con-troUers.
Alarm bells were tolled and highups were informed with rescuers shooting into operation. However, the reason behind the crash-landing and loss of contact with control tower could not be known till last night.
"We have already formed an inquiry committee. It will find
out the truth about the incident," State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Dr Mo-hiuddin Khan Alamgir told newsmen at Biman headquarters in the city after returning from the crash site.
When asked why the incident occurred, he said: "It is an accident." He, however, did not rule out the possibility of mechanical fault, fog or negUgence of the Biman staff concerned for the accident.
The badly damaged parts of the F-28 aircraft are its landing gears, cockpit, tall and galley.
The crash had made it difficult for the national carrier to service its domestic routes.
The state minister, who had talks with the injured pilot, refused to disclose what was discussed. "You know he was injured. We told him to rest and give his version of the accident to the investigators." Mohiud-din said.
The black box and voice recorder were still inside the damaged aircraft. The inquiry committee started probing the incident yesterday.
Meanwhile, all the domestic flights were suspended yesterday. Biman officials said they were planning to operate mainly in Chittagong and Sylhet routes with the only ATP in the domestic fleet. Besides, some wide-bodied aircraft would be pressed into regional routes. Only one ATP was available for operation while another F-28 was grounded on Monday.