56 die as plane crashes on landing
An Atlasjet airliner crashed just before landing in central Turkey early today, killing all 49 passengers and seven crew members on board, airline CEO Tuncay Doganer said.
It was not immediately clear what had caused the crash near the town of Isparta.
Turkish television earlier showed anxious relatives arriving at Istanbul airport seeking news about the passengers.
The MD 83 aircraft, manufactured by McDonnell Douglas, was flying from Istanbul and disappeared from radar screens shortly before it was due to land at Isparta, about 90 miles north of the Mediterranean resort of Antalya.
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