Plane Crash in Peru

(Lima, Peru) Preliminary indications are that bad weather caused the crash of a TANS Peru airliner carrying 100 people about 300 miles northeast of Lima. Casualty estimates are sketchy, ranging from 37 to 70 dead. The Boeing 737-200 carried a crew of eight and several Americans were among the 92 passengers.

Just after 3pm local time, the plane was on a landing approach to the airport at Pucallpa when it was hit by a strong crosswind. The pilot is believed to have tried an emergency landing without landing gear on a nearby road.


[Update 8/25/05]

According to this report, 58 people survived and 37 perished in the crash. Three passengers are currently unaccounted for. Two Americans were among the dead, Stephen Michael Lotti and Sherra Young Gay.