According to local journalists the tail section of one wing had broken off from the main body of the aircraft. They say survivors described scenes of panic on the plane after the pilot announced that he'd lost contact with the airport and couldn't land on the runway.

Passengers said the plane started bumping and then appeared to change route and crash landed in a rice field three kilometres from the airport. A team of investigators and government officials have gone to Syhlet to gather information about the cause of the crash.

Initially officials said heavy fog might be to blame. The team will now look for the plane's black box for clues as to what went wrong and talk to the pilot who's among the injured in hospital.