Plane breaks into pieces after skidding off runway in Istanbul, Turkey killing onw (photos/video)

One person died after a plane skidded off the runway at the Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport in Turkey, crashing into a field and breaking into pieces on Wednesday evening.

The incident happened at about 6:30pm Istanbul time when the plane carrying 183 people including 2 babies and six crew members skidded off the runway. 

157 people including two pilots were injured

The injured were taken to area hospitals, Istanbul Gov. Ali Yerlikaya said.

Passengers were seen evacuating through cracks in the plane after the incident occurred.

Television footage showed serious damage to the plane, with the fuselage appearing to be broken into three pieces.

NTV television reported that the plane caught fire after skidding but said the blaze had been extinguished.

The airport was shut down and flights were being diverted to Istanbul’s main airport.

The plane, belonging to Pegasus, arrived from the city of Izmir when the incident happened.

No deaths was recorded in what it called a “rough landing”.

According to flight tracking website Flightradar24, the plane is a Boeing 737.

 
The accident comes a month after another Pegasus plane skidded off the runway in Istanbul at the same airport.

There were no deaths or injuries in that incident on January 7.

It is rare for a fuselage to split open while pieces remain largely intact.

Planes are designed to absorb impact forces in the bottom of the fuselage to improve the chances that passengers in the cabin above will survive.

In 2013, the tail of an Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 broke off after the jet hit a seawall during approach to San Francisco International Airport.

Three people died, 49 were seriously injured and scores more suffered minor injuries, according to the US accident report.