Crashed plane struck by lightning?

Friday, October 19, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

According to unofficial source, it appears that two of the engines of the Russian cargo plane which crashed on Wednesday night in rice fields covered with water, in Kandal Steung district, Kandal province, could be struck by lightning, causing it to interrupt its flight, and forcing it to return back to the airport. Police experts have recovered the plane black box and they will conduct an official investigation on the actual cause of the crash. An official from the Phnom Penh International Airport indicated that the plane was transporting 1,178 boxes of sweaters, weighing a total of 11.6 tons, to Singapore. The plane departed at 9:30 PM from Phnom Penh. After flying close to Kampot province, the pilot group communicated with Phnom Penh asking for permission to land because two of the engines malfunction. At the same time, the pilots were using the remaining 2 engines to fly back and land in Phnom Penh which was only 6 minutes away, but, they had the accident instead by crashing into rice fields. The plane was dragged for about 200-meter after the crash, and it was broken into several pieces.