Backgrounder: Major air crashes in the
world since 2007
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Map of Venezuela locating the Andes
region, where an airliner with 46 people on board has apparently
crashed.(Xinhua/AFP Photo)
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The general view of the crash site of
Santa Barbara airlines airplane at the Andean mountains Feb. 22,
2008. All the 46 people aboard the Santa Barbara Airlines airplane died
after the plane crashed on Thursday in Venezuela's Andean region.
(Xinhua/AFP Photo)
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CARACAS, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- All the 46 people aboard
the Santa Barbara Airlines airplane died after the plane crashed on Thursday in
Venezuela's Andean region, Venezuela's National Civil Protection Department
reported on Friday.
The aircraft crashed against a 12,000 foot high
mountain at Los Conejos moorland, some 10 kms from Carnevalli airport in Merida
state, west of Venezuela.
Venezuela's National Civil Protection Department
Director Antonio Rivero said 43 passengers and three crew members died in the
crash.
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Relatives of passengers on board a
flight from the southern Venezuela city of Merida to Caracas reported
missing wait at the the desk of Santa Barbara Airlines on Feb. 21 at the
Simon Bolivar Airport in Maiquetia.(Xinhua/AFP Photo)
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"The
procedures to recover the bodies and the airplane remains are now being complied
to determine what caused the accident," said Rivero.
The YV-1449 airplane, flight number 518, crashed half
an hour after lifting off from Merida's Alberto Carnevalli airport heading to
Caracas' Simon Bolivar national airport.
The deceased passenger list includes Mayor of
Mucuchies Alexander Quintero and his 11-year-old son Eisber Quintero, and two
family members of Citizen Security Vice Minister Tarek Al Aissami.
Santa Barbara is a small aircraft company covering
national flights in Venezuela.
According to the initial investigations, the climate
was normal at the time of the crash.
Wreckage of missing plane spotted in
Venezuela
CARACAS, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- The wreckage of the missing
Venezuelan plane was spotted by helicopter on Friday, with all 46 people on
board feared dead, officials said.
"The impact was direct. The aircraft is practically
pulverized," firefighter Jhonny Paz told the Venezuelan television station
Globovision. Officials believe there were no survivors, he said. Full story
Rescue teams sent to find missing plane in
Venezuela
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A rescue worker practises rappelling in
Barinas Feb. 22, 2008 before departing to search for the Santa Barbara
airlines ATR 42-300 plane that was declared missing as it was flying over
the Andean mountains. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
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CARACAS, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Rescue teams had been
dispatched to the Venezuelan Andes near the city of Merida, following a plane
carrying 46 people went missing on Thursday, Venezuelan authority said Friday.
Rescue crew set off on Friday for the mountainous area of
Collado del Condor at an altitude of about 4,000 meters. Full story
