A rescue operation involving 195 people helped those on board get out, with a number of passengers trapped in the head of the plane. Those who have been rescued report a strong smell of gasoline inside the plane when in flight, and it’s being speculated that the aircraft suffered an engine flameout. The river where the crash occurred is not on a flight path, so it is thought the pilot was attempting a crash landing there. For the most part it seems to have worked, although of the 58 people on board 22 have been confirmed dead.
The black boxes have been recovered, which should help to explain exactly what happened to cause the loss of power and then control. Although a terrible accident, it could have been a lot worse if the pilot hadn’t been so accurate (and probably a bit lucky) with his controlled descent.
