PLANES CRASH IN TOKYO AND MONTANA, EMERGENCY LANDING IN INDONESIA

TOKYO

In TOKYO, a FedEx cargo plane burst into flames after bouncing off a runway in unusually high winds at Tokyo’s main international airport Monday, killing the pilot and copilot and closing a major runway for several hours.

The pilot and copilot -- the only people on board the flight -- were pulled from the cockpit and taken to a local hospital, where they were later confirmed dead.

Local news reports said the plane was an MD-11, a widebody airliner built by McDonnell Douglas and based on the DC-10.

 

MONTANA

In Montana, a small plane -- possibly carrying children on a ski trip -- crashed Sunday as it approached the Butte airport, killing 14 to 17 people aboard, a federal official said. The single engine turboprop nose-dived into a cemetery 150m from its destination.

Fergus said the Pilatus PC-12 aircraft was manufactured in 2001. Such planes are certified to carry 12 people.

The crash is the fourth major plane accident in the United States in slightly more than three months.

 

INDONESIA

In Indonesia a passenger jetliner flying at 2,000 feet (600 meters) made an emergency landing Monday after encountering engine failure, airline official said.

The plane with 122 passengers and crew onboard managed to land safely at Batam island in western Indonesia, and no one was injured, said Sriwijaya Air spokeswoman Ruth Simatupang.

The Boeing 737-200 operated by the small commercial airline ran into difficulties shortly after taking off on an 80-minute flight from Tanjungpinang airport on Bintan island to the capital, Jakarta.