A Zimbabwe-registered cargo plane that crashed in flames on takeoff from Shanghai's international airport, killing three American crew members, wasn't carrying sensitive goods, a senior executive with the plane's operator said.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter aircraft was carrying "general cargo, such as electronics," and "nothing of any sensitive nature," said Simon Clarke, chief operating officer of Zimbabwe-based Avient Ltd.
China's official Xinhua news agency said the plane was bound for Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, when it crashed Saturday morning in relatively good weather. Early reports indicated the tail of the three-engine jet may have struck the ground before the crash. A team of U.S. investigators, led by an expert on engines, was preparing to head to China in the next two to three days.
A cargo plane veered off the runway and smashed into a building during take off in Shanghai, killing three crew members. Video courtesy of Reuters.
Mr. Clarke said the plane had entered Avient's fleet only about a week before it crashed. But "the crew had all flown extensively on the type" of plane. "It remains very sketchy," he said. "We are obviously working with the Zimbabwe and Chinese civil aviation authorities to ascertain what went
No comments:
Post a Comment