Iranian plane crashes in Emirates

[Kellanved]

SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Iranian airliner with about 60 people aboard crashed Tuesday shortly after taking off from Sharjah airport in the United Arab Emirates, according to television reports that showed flaming wreckage and rescue helicopters landing nearby.
There was word of survivors aboard the Kish Airline plane, according to Sharjah television, which reported that 49 passengers plus a child were on board. The number of crew wasn't clear.

Mehdi Mehranpour, deputy managing director of Iran's national carrier, Iran Air, said the plane belonged to Kish Air, a separate Iranian company. Kish Air officials could not immediately be reached.

Speaking to The Associated Press in the Iranian capital of Tehran, Mehranpour said the airliner was a Fokker 50, which can carry about 60 people, and that it had crashed in a populated area near Sharjah airport. The Sharjah television report had said the crash area was uninhabited area.
...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2004-02-10-emirates-crash_x.htm

[clyrc]

1. I live in Sharjah, right across the road from the airport,

and I've heard nothing about this!

[clyrc]

2. I just read the Kaleej times report and it said

35 people were on the plane, but very little else. I wonder why I didn't hear anything, since I live so close to the airport.

[JCMach1]

3. Just a few kilometers from where CLYRC and I live

:(

Didn't hear anything though. In fact, the airport is less than a mile away.

[clyrc]

4. I turned on the tv and saw the video, but as the station is in

Arabic I didn't understand what was being said. Definitely out in the desert, though, not in a populated area. Although I have seen camels out there several times. I was going to write that I hope no camels were hurt, but people getting hurt is worse, and the crash looks rather bad.

[Kellanved]

5. a few changes

Apparently the machine was landing, not taking off. Over 50 people are feared dead; at least two survivor's conditions are crtitical.

http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,328847,00.jpg
http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,328871,00.jpg

[clyrc]

6. it wasn't in a desert area

it was in a road between two housing areas.
Always scary when a tradgedy happens so close to where you live.

[Art_from_Ark]

7. About 20 hours ago, I dreamed a plane crashed near my house

and then I had another dream after that in which I was discussing "watching" the plane crash.