THE Department of Civil Aviation has opened an investigation into the June 6 crash landing of a Myanma Airways aircraft at Sittwe Airport, a spokesperson from the department said last week.

The Myanma Airways Fokker F-28 took off from Yangon at 7:10am carrying 68 people, including 62 passengers and six crewmembers. It reached Sittwe Airport at 8:20am. Upon landing, the jet skidded to the right of the runway, coming to a rest at the airport fence about 2000 feet from the tarmac.

According to an accident report on the website of the Aviation Safety Network, three people – including the pilot – were injured in the accident. The landing gear and one wing of the jet were severely damaged.

“We opened an investigation immediately to enquire about the accident, to find out why it happened,” he said.

The Department of Civil Aviation last month completed repairs to the runway at Sittwe Airport, which included improving the drainage system to facilitate year-round landings.