Patel refuses any defects in the plane

Mangalore, May 22 : The Civil Aviation Ministry on Saturday confirmed that there was no defect with the plane at the time of landing. Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, who arrived here to access the situation following the crash, said that 158 people died in the crash and there are eight survivors.

"There were 137 adults, 19 children, four infants and six crew members on board," said Patel.

"Only eight survived. Four passengers sustained minor injuries. hree are severely injured," he added.

He said the plane overshot the runway and further added "The two pilots had over 1,000 hours of flying experience. The pilots were experienced and familiar with the terrain," said Patel.

"The runway visibility stood at six kilometers when the incident took place. The visibility was normal. The ATC signal was also clear," he added.

The Civil Aviation Minister also announced a compensation of Rs 75 lakhs to the family of the dead.

Earlier this morning, Praful Patel had briefed the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, about rescue operations that were being carried out at the crash site.

It was also reported this morning that the pilot of the aircraft failed to signal or announce an emergency landing, which is being cited as a factor leading to the crash.

ANI