Polish plane crash kills 20
Pastor Dale Morgan
Wed January 23, 2008
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Polish plane crash kills 20*
* Story Highlights
* Death toll in Polish military plane crash rises to 20
* The air force plane was carrying 16 passengers and four crew members
* Passengers had been attending a flight safety conference in Warsaw
* Officials said it was the first accident in Poland involving a
CASA transporter
WARSAW, Poland (AP) -- A military plane crash in northwestern Poland has
killed 20 people, Poland's prime minister said early Thursday.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the plane crash, which occurred
Wednesday evening as the plane was about to land, killed 20 people,
including one brigadier general and four crew members.
"Soldiers, husbands and fathers have died, and that is the most tragic
result of this catastrophe," Tusk said.
The air force plane carrying 16 passengers and four crew members was
approaching an air force airstrip at Miroslawiec shortly after 7 p.m.
(1800 GMT) when it crashed in a forested area.
The passengers were military officers who had been attending a flight
safety conference in Warsaw.
Officials said it was the first accident in Poland involving a CASA
transporter, which is generally considered an extremely reliable aircraft.
The airplane took off from Warsaw and was scheduled to make stops in
three cities before returning to its home base in Krakow. It crashed
before reaching its second destination.