The first reports came in fast, and none of them were good. A plane carrying more than twenty-three passengers had gone down just moments earlier, crashing hard enough that people miles away felt the impact. Within minutes, social media was swamped with shaky videos showing a column of black smoke twisting into the sky. What looked like scattered debris was already burning on the ground. People nearby described the sound as a single, violent blast — the kind of noise that cuts through everything and leaves a ringing silence afterward.
Authorities confirmed only the basics at first: the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control shortly before the crash. No explanation. No warning. Just sudden radio silence. Tower officials tried repeatedly to reach the pilot, but there was nothing but static. Now, investigators are trying to piece together those missing minutes that turned a routine flight into a catastrophe.
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