ATR Plane Crash in Laos Kills 49

DieselPowered

BANGKOK — A Lao Airlines flight crashed into the Mekong River in southern Laos on Wednesday, killing all 49 people onboard, according to a statement from the Laotian government.
The statement did not specify the nationalities of the passengers, but a spokesman for Thailand’s foreign ministry, Sek Wannamethee, said the airline had told him that the passengers were from Laos, Vietnam, Australia, Canada, China, France, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States.

Flight QV301 was flying from the Laotian capital, Vientiane, to the southern Laotian city of Pakse and was carrying 44 passengers and five crew members, the Laotian government’s statement said.

The statement said the plane ran into “extreme bad weather conditions” as it attempted to land in Pakse, a popular destination with tourists who visit the coffee plantations of the Bolaven Plateau and the former royal principality of Champasak.

A representative for the airline who answered the phone in Vientiane said the aircraft was an ATR, a French-made turboprop commonly used in the region to serve small airports.

“There was turbulent weather during the flight,” said the woman, who refused to give her name. She said the airline would provide more information Thursday afternoon.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/16/world/asia/laos-plane-crash/

Zonda999

Brand new aircraft as well, only delivered in March

http://www.avherald.com/h?article=46a05359&opt=0

DieselPowered

"The flight was originally scheduled to arrive at 12:15L however was delayed due to weather (storm). Tropical storm Nari had been battering the southern and central provinces of Laos at the time of the crash."

Hard to read that they were probably caught in the tail end of the storm. no chance.

djmcr

Thought it was Laois when I looked at thread initially