Lion jetliner overshoots runway and crashes into the sea in Bali, Indonesia
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A Lion Air plane carrying more than 100
passengers overshot a runway on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on
Saturday and crashed into the sea, police said.
Bali Police Chief Arif Wahyunadi told local TV One that all of the
passengers and crew were evacuated from the plane and taken into the
airport terminal for treatment.
Hospital officials and paramedics said at least seven passengers were
taken to Sanglah hospital with head wounds and broken bones. Many
passengers arrived with wet clothes and bruises.
The Transportation Ministry's director general of aviation, Harry
Bakti Gumay, said the plane overshot the runway and fell into the sea
from a height of about 50 meters (55 yards). The cause of the accident
was unclear, and Gumay said an investigation was under way.
"The aircraft was in landing position when suddenly I saw it getting
closer to the sea, and finally it hit the water," Dewi, a passenger who
sustained head wounds in the crash, told The Associated Press. "All of
the passengers were screaming in panic in fear they would drown. I left
behind my belongings and went to an emergency door. I got out of the
plane and swam before rescuers jumped in to help me."
Wahyunadi said the plane originated from Bandung, the capital of West Java province, and was landing in Bali.
A photo on TV One showed the plane with a large crack in its body sitting on top of the water.
Lion Air is a low-cost carrier that holds about a 45 percent market
share in Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago that's seeing a boom in both
economic growth and air travel.
Lion inked a $24 billion deal last month to buy 234 Airbus planes,
the biggest order ever for the French aircraft maker. It also gave
Boeing its largest-ever order when it finalized a deal for 230 planes
last year. The planes will be delivered from 2014 through 2026.