Sept. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Thailand's aviation authorities are investigating a plane crash on the resort island of Phuket yesterday that killed at least 88 people when the aircraft broke into two and burst into flames on landing.

The flight, operated by One Two Go Airline Co., was carrying 123 passengers, five cabin crew and two pilots when it skidded off the runway in a rainstorm and hit an embankment. The McDonnell Douglas Corp. MD-82 aircraft may have been 24 years old, Vutichai Singhamanee, director of the Civil Aviation Authority's flight standards bureau, said today. The aircraft's voice recorder has been recovered.

The accident was ``probably weather-related,'' Vutichai said by telephone yesterday. ``We don't know if it was pilot error. We are investigating.'' One Two Go is Thailand's second- biggest low-fare airline.

Yesterday's crash may have been caused by a ``microburst wind shear,'' said Vutichai, referring to a powerful downdraft that can affect aircraft during takeoff and landing.

блин, ну и отмазку нашли ... типа злая микро-турбуленция. ето так ... для публики. типа сеичас пасссамы из-за погоды будут падать. Но если это и так, то кто же там в аэропорту за погодой смотрит?? типа там грозные воздушные торнадо самолёто-убийци бродят а их не кто не увидел.