Lao Airlines Says 49 Dead After Plane Crashes Into Mekong River

(3:55 p.m. on 16th October, 2013)

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Lao Airlines, the Southeast Asian country’s national carrier, said 49 people were feared dead after a plane on a domestic flight from the capital Vientiane crashed into the Mekong River while attempting to land.

The plane experienced "bad weather conditions" while preparing to land at Pakse Airport in the south of the country at about 4 p.m. local time, according to the carrier.

The model was an ATR 72-600 turboprop made by the Avions de Transport Regional venture owned by Airbus SAS parent European Aeronautic, Space and Defense Co. and Italy’s Finmeccanica SpA (FNC), ATR said in a statement.

Lao Airlines said in a statement it was sending emergency crews to the crash site, and expected to release initial findings of its investigation into the cause of the crash today. Lao Airlines flies to six international and six domestic destinations. Thailand's Channel 3 television network broadcast footage of people pulling wreckage of the aircraft from the Mekong River.

There has been "no news of survivors," the airline said in the statement, adding that the plane was carrying 44 passengers and five crew. Flight QV301 left the capital, Vientiane, at 2:45 p.m. local time and was scheduled to arrive in Pakse at 3:55 p.m.

A list provided by Thailand's foreign ministry showed seven passengers from France, five Australians, five Thais, three Koreans, two Vietnamese, one American, one Chinese, one Taiwanese, one Canadian, and one Myanmar citizen were on board the flight, in addition to 17 Lao citizens.

Laos Airlines, established in 1976, operates Airbus SAS A320-214, Xi'an Aircraft Industry MA-6 and ATR-72-500 aircraft. The airline flies an ATR-72 twin-engine turboprop plane on the 467-kilometer (290-mile) route.

Lao Airlines hostess

Announcement from Lao Airlines

They kissed goodbye at the terminal gate
She said, "You're gonna be late if you don't go"
He held her tight, said, "I'll be alright
I'll call you tonight to let you know"
He bought a postcard, on the front it just said Heaven
With a picture of the ocean and the beach
And the simple words he wrote her
Said he loved her and they told her
How he'd hold her if his arms would reach

Wish you were here, wish you could see this place
Wish you were near, I wish I could touch your face
The weather's nice, it's paradise
It's summertime all year and there's some folks we know
They say, "Hello, I miss you so, wish you were here"

She got a call that night but it wasn't from him
It didn't sink in right away, ma'am the plane went down
Our crews have searched the ground
No survivors found she heard him say
But somehow she got a postcard in the mail
That just said Heaven with a picture of the ocean and the beach
And the simple words he wrote her
Said he loves and they told her
How he'd hold her if his arms would reach

Wish you were here, wish you could see this place
Wish you were near, I wish I could touch your face
The weather's nice, it's paradise
It's summertime all year and there's some folks we know
They say, "Hello, I miss you so, wish you were here"

The weather's nice, in paradise
It's summertime all year and all the folks we know
They say, "Hello, I miss you so, wish you were here"
Wish you were here

When I get where I'm going
On the far side of the sky
The first thing that I'm gonna do
Is spread my wings and fly

I'm gonna land beside a lion
And run my fingers through his mane
Or I might find out what it's like
To ride a drop of rain

[Chorus]
Yeah when I get where I'm going
There'll be only happy tears
I will shed the sins and struggles
I have carried all these years
And I'll leave my heart wide open
I will love and have no fear
Yeah when I get where I'm going
Don't cry for me down here

I'm gonna walk with my grand daddy
And he'll match me step for step
And I'll tell him how I missed him
Every minute since he left
Then I'll hug his neck

[Repeat chorus]

So much pain and so much darkness
In this world we stumble through
All these questions I can't answer
So much work to do

But when I get where I'm going
And I see my maker's face
I'll stand forever in the light
Of his amazing grace
Yeah when I get where I'm going
There'll be only happy tears
Hallelujah
I will love and have no fear
When I get where I'm going
Yeah when I get where I'm going

I was really sad when I heard about this news. I had some friends on facebook that are flight attendants on Lao Airlines and it really made me sad when I found out that she was on that flight. It's her birthday today and I can't wish her a HBD. I can only pray for her in the next life. She was going to give a surprise present for her parents on her Bday, that's how unselfish this girl was. That's how she will be remembered. She was an angel even when she was in this world.

I was told that the other flight attendant was on her maiden voyage. She had just got accepted for the position. Such a young life with so much potential, all taken too early.

Whether you take a plane, train or automobile, there's always a risk, especially in Laos/Thailand since the conditions aren't like western standards. Even taking the bus is scary there. They also drive like suicidal maniacs. Their vehicles are not well maintained either. It's all a recipe for disaster.
I will not fly on those small planes in Laos/Thai. I will take my chances on the ground, even if it takes longer.
I heard that other airlines had cancelled flights due to the typhoon nari which was near the area. Vietnam airlines cancelled flights, but why didn't Lao Airlines cancel this flight to the south which is near the tail end of that typhoon. They did not have the technology to read weather conditions. The control tower was too late in alerting them to abort the landing and take another course and do a fly by.

I have only flown from Bangkok to Vientiane using Lao Airways on an Airbus A320 and it was a bit shaky at times. I'm not sure any other plane would have faired better, when they lose control like that against severe weather, they have no where to go but down.
It's too bad the plane didn't hit the water first, then there might have been a chance of some survivors, but it looks like it had a hard impact with the ground first, next to the river before it went into the water.

I felt so sad when I saw her body lying on the river bank. I felt like she was speaking to me,"help me".