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Kyrgyz first deputy PM reveals possible cause of Boeing crash

According to preliminary reports, the Boeing-747 crash could have been cause by a pilot error, the first deputy prime minister said

© EPA/IGOR KOVALENKO

BISHKEK, January 16. /TASS/. A pilot error could have caused the Boeing-747 crash near Manas airport outside of Kyrgyzstan’s capital of Bishkek, Kyrgyz First Deputy Prime Minister Mukhammetkaly Abulgaziyev said on Monday.

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"We can’t yet announce the cause of the crash. According to preliminary reports, it could have been a pilot error, but the investigation is still underway," he said.

At the same time, in his words, the four crew members were rather experienced and were also well acquainted with Manas airport. "All the details will become known after investigation completes," the first deputy prime minister said.

He added that at the time of the crash, weather conditions in the Manas airport area were "normal", during the previous night, 11 aircraft had taken off and landed.

According to official data, on Monday morning, a cargo Boeing-747 aircraft, belonging to the Turkish ACT Airlines, crashed onto a suburban settlement near the Manas airport outside Kyrgyzstan’s capital of Bishkek. The crash killed 37 people, including crew members, 11 injured have been hospitalized. A total of 15 residential dwellings were destroyed in the settlement while 32 one-storey houses were damaged.

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