Turkish airline says crash of cargo plane not caused by technical or loading problems

The crash of a Turkish cargo plane inside Kyrgyzstan early Monday is not related to technical or loading factors as initial findings show, the cargo airline said.

The aircraft, a Boeing 747-400 departing from Hong Kong, was not encountering any trouble as it started to descend toward the Manas International Airport in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan's capital, the ACT Airlines said in its latest statement.

The plane with four crew members on board, however, crashed into a village nearby, killing 37 people, said the Istanbul-based airlines, also known as MyCargo Airlines.

Press reports cited poor visibility, while the ACT Airlines ruled out technical or loading problems, as there are no faults recorded in the logbook and the plane was carrying only 85,618 kg of "general cargo," despite a capacity of 116,462 kg.

"Clear and verified" information about the cause of the accident is not available yet, the cargo airline said, noting its technical team was at the scene.

"All the losses of life and property caused by the accident are under the guarantee of insurance coverage," the airline said, pledging compensation "within the shortest possible time." Endit