http://www.nandotimes.com/noframes/story/0,2107,500194557-500264902-501376323-0,00.html

MANILA, Philippines (April 18, 2000 10:19 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com)

An Air Philippines jetliner carrying 130 people crashed in the southern Philippines Wednesday. Rescuers said there were no signs of survivors.

The Boeing 737-200, which began its flight in Manila, circled the city of Davao, 625 miles southeast of Manila, before going down on nearby Samal Island, Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado said.

Emergency crews arriving at the site of the still-smoldering plane reported no evidence that anyone had survived the crash. If that turns out to be the case, it would the worst plane crash in Philippine history.

The pilot of a small plane which flew over the area told authorities that the craft appeared to be destroyed.

"We have an initial report that one Air Philippines flight circled around Davao first and then crashed," Mercado said. "We are getting final confirmation of the other details."

The airline said that the plane was carrying 130 people - 124 passengers, including four babies, and six crew members.

There was no immediate word on what caused the crash. The airline said plane was given its normal maintenance check before taking off and that no problems were reported.

Weather conditions at the time of the crash were good, the government weather bureau said.

Planes, buses and ferries throughout the Philippines were jammed Wednesday because of the start of Easter holidays, in which many Filipinos return to their hometowns.

It appeared to be the most serious crash in the Philippines since a twin-engine plane slammed into the hills in the northern part of the country on Dec. 7, killing all 17 people aboard.

In 1998, a Cebu Pacific DC-9 jet crashed near the top of a fog-shrouded mountain in the southern Philippines, killing all 104 people aboard in the country's worst air disaster.

Several of the country's airlines created since the industry was deregulated several years ago have been dogged with safety- and maintenance-related problems.

-- viewer (justp@ssing.by), April 18, 2000

Answers

This was on every tv and cable station and in every morning newspaper.

Why would you think this is "news?"

-- (retard@but.happy), April 19, 2000.

It was posted here before it hit whatever mainstream sources you must be viewing. And, regardless of where you saw it, it's still news. Or else, you have a most bizarre definition.

Another rudder yaw event?

http://www.ntsb.gov/Press rel/961016.htm

-- viewer (justp@ssing.by), April 19, 2000.

Retard,

I don't usually watch TeeVee or read newspapers. This post was the first time I saw this story.

-- Jimmy Splinters (inthe@dark.com), April 19, 2000.