27 February,2009 11:51 AM IST | | Agencies
The head of the agency investigating the Turkish Airlines plane crash said yesterday that engine trouble may be a factor in the crash that killed nine people in Amsterdam on Wednesday.
Pieter van Vollenhoven said in remarks cited by Dutch state television NOS that the plane had fallen almost directly from the sky, which pointed toward the plane's motors having stalled.
He said a reason for that had not yet been established.
Spokeswoman Sandra Groenendal of the Dutch Safety Authority confirmed that NOS reported Vollenhoven's remarks accurately.
The plane had dropped from about 90 m and crashed near the runway at Schiphol airport, killing nine crew and passengers of the 134 people on board.
The remaning were treated for injuries and six remained in critical condition. Another 25 were considered seriously hurt.
The plane broke up into three pieces and sprayed luggage and debris across the field. Despite the catastrophic impact, the wreckage did not catch fire.