EYEWITNESS - Turkish pilots save lives on board and on the ground

Photo Ed: Eyewitness crash photographs from Jeroen Jonkers

 

 

There was no explosion but the noise of the impact, a big bang, the ground trembled and there was the sound of engines howling like they reversed power or were just overturning by lack of resistance.  Â

 

From this distance I saw the plane make this awkward maneuver, and as a former Royal Dutch Marine, I immediately knew that this was an emergency.

 

The maneuver was one with the nose of the plane high; like the airbrake maneuver, in which nose of the plane is pulled up and the total surface of the wings is used to reduce speed dramatically.

 

I arrived at the scene in 8-10 minutes. The rescue teams were already on their way. Some passengers came out of the plane and wandered around. Myself, and approximately 200 other citizens, assisted in taking these people to safety.

 

By then there where ambulances, police, firefighters and volunteers all over the place. I dismissed myself because now the disaster program was fully operational.

 

The Dutch people did their utmost best to assist the passengers and gave them first aid and offered them comfort.

 

PILOTS ARE HEROES

While the investigation is underway and may take some time, I want to let you know that the pilots and the crew of flight 1951 have to be considered HEROES and the Turkish people can be proud of them.Â

 

The place he landed was the only option for the pilot and he had to make this decision in a split-second.

 

The maneuver he made was topical jetfighter drill to reduce speed for impact. By this he maximized the chances for survival for the passengers, while knowing his own position would worsen.

 

By doing this, the pilot avoided busy traffic on highway A9 and there were no casualties there. This highway is also elevated, so impact on it would have been fatal for everybody on board.

 

My sympathies go out to the family of the crew and to those how lost their loved ones and I wish them much strength in coping with this tragedy.

 

*Jeroen Jonkers, an Amsterdam resident, is an eyewitness of the crash of a Turkish Airlines flight in Amsterdam. He contacted Hurriyet Daily News via its website and sent his story. This is his story in his own words.

 

 

**If you are a witness of the crash and would like to tell your story, you may contact us at english@hurriyet.com.tr