Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Fatal AtlasJet crash in 2007 attributed to pilot error

AtlasJet logoThe investigation of a fatal aviation accident last year in Turkey concluded that pilot error caused the crash. AtlasJet Flight KK 4203 had originated in Istanbul shortly before 01:00 AM on November 30, 2007, and was approaching Süleyman Demirel Airport at Isparta, Turkey when it collided with terrain about seven miles from the Isparta airport, near a village called Keciborlu. All seven crew members and 50 passengers on board died in the accident.

A brief article on the Turkish news website Hürriyet quoted Turkey's Transport Minister, Binali Yildirim, who said that the pilots of the MD-83 aircraft "did not follow the rules during landing, which led to a collision accident."

According to a press statement issued by AtlasJet shortly after the crash, the accident aircraft was on lease to AtlasJet from World Focus Airlines, and the pilots, cabin crew chief, and a flight technician all were employees of World Focus. The other cabin crew were AtlasJet Staff.