Wreckage of Cambodian Plane Found

Filed in archive Aviation News on June 26, 2007

On Wednesday, the wreckage of the crashed Cambodian plane was found on top of Bokor Mountain. The plane was chartered by tourists and was on the way from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville. Officials doesn't expect any of the 22 passengers to have survived and is blaming bad weather for the crash.

"Our first evaluation of the cause of the plane crash is bad weather," he said, adding that poor visibility had forced the aircraft to divert through the mountains.

South Korean diplomats told AFP they had identified all 13 Koreans on board, including two boys aged two and seven years old. All had been part of a tour group, they said.

South Koreans made up the largest percentage of 1.7 million foreign visitors to Cambodia in 2006.

The crash is the first major air disaster to strike Cambodia in a decade, but highlights the country's need to bolster domestic air safety amid a rise in tourist arrivals.

The plane was operated by Progress Multi Transportation (PMT) Air, which runs mainly domestic flights. It has had at least three accidents or in-flight emergencies in the past two years, and was temporarily grounded at one point.

PMT opened a route between Siem Reap and Sihanoukville in January. It also flies between Siem Reap and Seoul, according to its website.

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