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56 dead in Turkey plane crash

All 56 people onboard a Turkish plane which crashed in southern Turkey early Friday are believed to have been killed, according to the airline's chief executive officer.
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Rescuers reach the Atlasjet plane which has crashed in southern Turkey.

"Search groups have not seen any survivors as of now," said Atlasjet CEO Tuncay Doganer.

The plane, a MacDonnell Douglas 83, went down in a mountainous region near the village of Keciborlu, just as its was preparing to land at Isparta, Doganer said.

He added that conditions at the time of the crash were good. "There was no rain or wind," he said. "The weather could not have been better."

Video from the crash site shows the fuselage of the plane largely intact but broken into at least three pieces, with the tail and cockpit separated from the body of the aircraft. There appeared to be no evidence of a fire.

Local media have reported that the crash site is strewn with debris and passengers' personal belongings. The bodies of some passengers were still strapped in their seats.

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The plane, which was carrying 49 passengers and seven crew, was en route from Istanbul to Isparta when the pilot radioed the tower, saying he was starting his descent. The flight never arrived at the Isparta airport, disappearing around 2 a.m. local time (0000 GMT Friday).

Atlasjet leased the plane from Worldfocus Airlines, whose pilots were flying it, Doganer said.

Families and friends of those on board the plane have headed to airports at Istanbul and Isparta for any updates, according to local media reports, while others have tried to reach the crash site itself. E-mail to a friend E-mail to a friend