Plane skids off the runway, splits into two

A plane carrying 177 passengers skidded off the runway at an Istanbul airport and split into two after landing in rough weather on Wednesday, but officials said no-one had died.

The aircraft had flown into Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport from the Aegean city of Izmir in very wet weather, NTV broadcaster reported, showing images of the badly damaged plane and a fire inside.

Live images broadcast on Turkish television showed several people climbing through a large crack in the plane and escaping on one of the wings at the rear of the aircraft.

The plane, operated by Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines, had 177 passengers on board, state broadcaster TRT reported, and was believed to have six crew members.

Transport Minister Mehmet Cahit Turhan said there were no deaths, and that the majority of passengers were able to get off the plane themselves.

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It is not known how many people have been injured, NTV reported, adding that some passengers are believed to be stuck but that officials are currently helping them.

Turhan said the plane broke after a “strong landing,” according to NTV. Prior to the accident, there had been very strong winds and rain.

Several firefighters and health workers were sent to the scene, state news agency Anadolu reported.

Planes were being redirected to Istanbul’s main airport from Sabiha Gokcen, NTV said.

(AFP)

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.