Chicago, IL., December 21, 1995 --In what is being described as the worst air disaster of 1995, 160 people are feared dead in the crash of an American Airlines Boeing 757 near Buga, Columbia. Flight 965, from Miami, FL, reportedly dropped off radar scopes shortly before it's scheduled arrival at the Cali airport. Conflicting reports have been received about whether or not the pilot of the ill-fated flight was able to send a distress message prior to the crash, but a preponderance of the preliminary evidence would suggest that he was unable to do so. The crash, which occurred at approximately 21:30EST 02:30GMT), was reportedly already three hours behind schedule due to connecting flight delays into Miami.
The crash site was located in a rugged section of the San Jose mountains, about 40 miles from Cali, Columbia. Darkness, the remote location, and fear of leftist guerrillas that frequent that area, reportedly delayed rescue efforts for some period of time. Helicopters and tracked or four-wheel drive vehicles were unable to reach the site until early Thursday morning. Unconfirmed reports suggest, upon their arrival, that rescuers may have found at least four (4) survivors at the crash site. Early reports from rescuers and media personnel, arriving at the scene describe it as "gruesome"; with blood, body parts, baggage, and sections of the plane strewn over a large area. The largest part of the plane, that has been found, is described by witnesses as being less than "two meters in length".
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and speculation continues about the possibility of it being sabotaged or having exploded prior to the fatal crash. Eyewitnesses from the area surrounding the crash site reported that they saw "flames and smoke" coming from the plane prior to it plummeting into the mountainside. Several others also described hearing an explosion or explosions and seeing a "bright flash". Others said that the plane's engines had an "unusual sound" just moments before it crashed.
In a related story, The Miami Herald and at least one other newspaper had reportedly received a fax on Monday (12/18/95), threatening American-based air carriers in regard to flights into Columbia and at least one other South American country. FAA and federal law enforcement officials say that they can not, at this time, draw a direct connection between the threatening letters and Wednesday's crash, but that "all possible avenues of investigation" are being explored. Reportedly, a special team of FBI forensic experts, four (4) experts from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and three (3) officials from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are enroute to Cali and scheduled to arrive there late Thursday.
ERRI (Emergency Response & Research Institute) analysts say that there are far more questions than answers at this point in the investigation, but that concerns are being raised about the fact that this crash occurred within hours of the anniversary of the deadly Lockerbie, Scotland crash of Pan Am Flight 103, that took the lives of 270 people. Additionally, they point to much recent U.S. pressure on the Columbia government and drug cartels and another as yet unresolved plane crash that occurred in Columbia in January of 1995. Lastly, according to at least one expert, some of the facts just aren't consistent with a simple accident. The plane was relatively new, reportedly well maintained, and flown by experienced American pilots, with numerous trips into the Cali airport.
While both U.S. and Colombian aviation officials emphasize the fact that they have no specific reason at this time, to suspect sabotage or terrorism, an intensive investigation will eventually ascertain the cause of the tragedy. In the words of NTSB spokesperson Pat Cariseo, "There is no way we can speculate on the cause of the accident. It's way too early."
(c) Emergencynet NEWS Service, 1995
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