Crashed Cambodian plane still missing
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The plane disappeared from the radar screens 37 minutes later over mountainous Kampot province, about 150 km southwest of Phnom Penh, and five minutes from landing.
Among the missing are 13 Koreans, Cambodia’s top overseas market. A Czech, Russian and several Cambodians were also onboard.
The 48-seat Russian-made AN-24 was part of PNT’s fleet that was temporarily grounded after a near miss last year over an isolated northeast provincial airport. However, the airline flew again.
Thailand’s The Nation reported, “The tragedy is expected to focus attention on Cambodia’s domestic air safety regulations.” One would hope so.
Though the dual-engine turboprop has yet to be found, and no reason for the crash determined, the AN-24 is a decades-old design, and unofficial upgrades have been blamed for similar crashes in Eastern Europe.
Another possibility is pilot error. Fast expansion of large Asian carriers and LCCs has been devouring qualified pilots. By the time PNT gets to choose, there isn’t much talent left. One wonders who will be flying all the new large aircraft destined for Asia’s the skies.
What is known is the AN-24 came up 40 km short of the strip. “It could have crashed into the side of a hill. It could be anywhere,” a rescue worker told The Nation. The hunt for the site continues today.
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