Myanmar finds crashed military plane
June 8, 2017
Myanmar's military said Thursday it found some wreckage of a military plane that was carrying 122 people, including 15 in the Andaman Sea.
"We have found the plane and some dead bodies this morning about 8:25 am (0155 UTC)," a spokesman from the military's information team told reporters.
General Myat Min Oo told The Associated Press that a navy ship found a tire that was a part of an aircraft wheel, as well as two life jackets and at least 10 bodies were found in the wreckage. The plane's remains were found 35 kilometers (22 miles) off the coast of Launglon.
The Chinese-made Y-8 turboprop aircraft lost contact with air traffic control at 1:35 p.m. (0705 UTC) on Wednesday, approximately 30 minutes after takeoff. The plane was on its way to Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, with 14 crew and 108 passengers on board. It is uncertain if there are any survivors as search and rescue missions continue. Nine naval ships, five army aircraft and two helicopters are involved in the search.
Though it is monsoon season in Myanmar, there were no reports of storms in the area at the time of the flight.
The plane was bought in March 2016 and had a total of 809 flying hours. The flight was captained by Lieutenant Colonel Nyein Chan, according to the Myanmar military. Chan had more than 3,000 hours of flying experience.
Myanmar's military has a troubled past with aircraft crashes. A five-member crew died shortly after takeoff from capital Naypyidaw in February 2016. A helicopter carrying three army officers crashed into a hillside in Bago, killing all on board.
kbd/sms (AFP, AP, dpa)