Turkish Forum

Category: The Netherlands

  • Possible scenarios discussed

    Possible scenarios discussed

    Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the Turkish Airlines plane’s crash-landing in Amsterdam as the local media and experts discuss possible scenarios.
     At least nine people were killed and 84 injured after a Boeing 737-800 operated by the Turkish Airlines crash-landed Wednesday in a field near Amsterdam’s main airport, splitting into three parts.

    The flight data and voice recorders, recovered late on Wednesday, will be the key to determine the crash of an airplane with a good safety record, flown by a well-respected airline, at one of the world’s most modern airports.

    This is the fourth serious accident since August 2008, when a Spanair MD-80 crashed on take off at Madrid; the others being the Hudson River crash and the fatal Continental Airlines crash at Buffalo, New York on Feb. 12.

    The fact that the plane did not catch fire has persuaded some commentators to question how much fuel was onboard the aircraft.

    Here are the major scenarios and possibilites circulated in Turkey:

    1) VORTEX: A Boeing 777, operated by KLM, was landed just ahead of the crashed Turkish Airlines. Experts say the vortex, Boeing 777 created, may have jeopordized the landing of the Turkish Airlines plane. There was 54 accidents so far caused by vortex.

    2) ENGINE FAILURE: Some passengers said they saw smoke rising from the left engine of the plane. Although it is not confirmed, media reports suggest the plane asked for an emergency landing. Photos from the crash scene showed one of the engines lying on the ground far from the plane. But it is unclear whether the engine fell before or after the crash.

    3) STALL: The plane might have unexpectedly lost flying speed as it was descending. The possible causes are numerous. They include a loss of engine power because of such things as fuel starvation, ice, a bird strike or a control problem, the experts believe.

    4) WINDSHEAR: This could be a possible cause for the crash. Windshear is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere.

     

    Hurriyet Daily News

  • Deadly Turkish plane crash probed

    Deadly Turkish plane crash probed

    Investigations are continuing into what caused a Turkish Airlines plane to crash at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, killing nine people and injuring 84.

    The plane, en route from Istanbul with 127 passengers and seven crew, crashed short of the runway on Wednesday.

    Three of those killed were members of the crew. Dutch officials said most of the passengers on board were Turkish.

    Relatives of some of those killed have arrived in Amsterdam on a special Turkish Airlines flight from Turkey.

    Officials told reporters on Wednesday that they did not yet know what had caused the plane to crash on landing.

    The flight data and voice recorders from the aircraft have been found and are being sent for expert analysis.

    The Boeing 737-800 aircraft came down at 1031 local time (0931 GMT), several hundred yards (metres) short of the runway, about three hours after it left Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport.

    It broke into three pieces on impact but most of those on board survived, although many were hurt.

    In a news conference on Wednesday, a Dutch health official said six of those injured were in a critical condition.

    She said another 25 passengers were severely wounded and 24 more had suffered light injuries. They were being treated at 11 hospitals in the area.

    The Turkish transport ministry said the flight carried 78 Turkish nationals and 56 people of other nationalities.

    Candan Karlitekin, head of Turkish Airlines’ board of directors, told reporters in Turkey that records showed the plane had been properly maintained.

    Turkish Transport Minister Binali Yildirim said it had been “a miracle” that there were not more casualties, AP reports.

    “The fact that the plane landed on a soft surface and that there was no fire helped keep the number of fatalities low,” he said.

    ‘Suddenly descended’

    One passenger aboard the plane, Kerem Uzel, told Turkish news channel NTV that the plane’s landing had been announced when they were at an altitude of 600m (2,000ft).

    “We suddenly descended a great distance as if the plane fell into turbulence.

    The plane’s tail hit the ground… It slid from the side of the motorway into the field.”

    Witnesses on the ground described seeing the plane appear to glide through the air, having lost all propulsion, before hitting the ground and breaking into three pieces.

    Some passengers were able to begin climbing out of the plane before rescue workers arrived on the scene.

    All flights were suspended for a time, but the airport re-opened later in the day.

    The last crash involving a Turkish Airlines plane was in 2003, when at least 65 people died in an accident in eastern Turkey.

    Schiphol airport has six runways and one major passenger terminal. In 2007, it handled 47 million passengers, ranking fifth in Europe.

    SCHIPHOL ACCIDENTS
    27 October 2005: A fire at the airport’s detention centre killed 11 people and injured 15
    4 April 1994: Three people were killed and 13 seriously injured when a KLM flight carrying 24 people crashed on landing
    4 October 1992: An El Al Boeing 747 cargo plane crashed into an apartment block after takeoff, killing 43 people
    BBC 26 February 2009
  • Banking crisis claims Belgo-Dutch giant

    Banking crisis claims Belgo-Dutch giant

    LEIGH PHILLIPS

    Today @ 09:27 CET

    The global banking crisis, born across the Atlantic, again sent waves crashing into Europe on Sunday (29 September) as the Belgian, Dutch and Luxemburg governments partly nationalised Belgo-Dutch banking and insurance giant Fortis in an €11.2 billion bailout.

    The move was announced on Sunday evening by Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme, following a marathon weekend of talks between the three governments and European Central Bank chair Jean-Claude Trichet.

       

    Belgo-Dutch bank Fortis is the latest recipient of tax-payer bailouts in the financial sector (Photo: Wikipedia)

    “We have taken up our responsibility, we did not abandon the savers,” Mr Trichet told reporters.

    The deal will see the Benelux governments purchase 49 percent of the bank’s operations in each of the three countries. Belgium is to take on the biggest load, offering €4.7 billion towards the acquisition, with the Netherlands paying €4 billion and Luxembourg €2.5 billion.

    The move comes after shares in Fortis plunged sharply in the last two weeks, losing more than a third of their value. Over the past year, shares in the bank – whose assets are many times larger than Belgium’s GDP – have lost some three quarters of their value.

    The Belgian and Dutch governments have also said they will guarantee 100 percent the deposits of clients. Normally in the two countries, only an initial €20,000 is guaranteed by the state.

    The governments had hoped to avoid any moves towards nationalisation of the bank and were attempting to piece together a purchase of Fortis – or at least part of it – by Dutch bank ING or BNP Paribas in France.

    Negotiations broke off with the two banking groups when the Benelux governments refused to accede to demands that they offer guarantees against future losses.

    Trouble at mill

    Meanwhile in the UK, the government is set to nationalise troubled West Yorkshire-based bank Bradford & Bingley, according to British press reports.

    The UK’s finance minister, Alistair Darling, has convinced Spanish bank Santander to purchase some 200 of Bradford & Bingley’s branches and €28 billion (£22 billion) in savings, while the UK government is take over €52 billion (£41 billion) of the bank’s mortgages, according to UK daily the Guardian.

    The move significantly expands Santander’s presence in the UK, as it already owns Abbey and is in the process of purchasing Alliance & Leicester.

    In Germany, troubles at lender Hypo Real Estate are also the subject of emergency talks between German banks and domestic authorities.

    A possible rescue of the Munich-based bank is under consideration, while Reuters – quoting an unnamed source close to the discussions – is reporting that the group has received a credit line of some €35 billion from a consortium of private and public-sector banks in the country.

  • Investors to put 7 bln euros in Turkey's Karaman

    Investors to put 7 bln euros in Turkey's Karaman

    A businessmen group, including investors from Germany, Switzerland and Holland, are planning to invest 7 billion euros ($ 9.95 billion) in Turkey’s central province of Karaman, Dogan News Agecy (DHA) reported on Saturday.

    The businessmen, who visited Karaman, allocated a 7 billion euros total amount of budget to invest in wind energy, bio-energy, stock-breeding and agricultural projects, DHA reported.

    According to report, sunflower-seed processing factories and stock-breeding in 200 square kilometers are among the planned projects.

    “The screening talks are ongoing. But, especially the wind-power project investment is being considered as important. Nearly 60 percent of investment comprises of wind energy… I estimate the infrastructure works will take shape in 2009 regarding the investment issues, in Karaman,” DHA quoted Koksal Gor, a member of Holland state parliament, as saying.

    Officials from Zurich Royal Bank of Scotland and Firma WIPA Investment Credit Suisse Bank were also included in the businessmen group.

    Source : Hurriyet