Passenger plane skids off runway in Turkey's Trabzon

A Trabzon-bound passenger plane from Ankara dangerously skid off the runway as it was landing at Trabzon Airport on Saturday night.

The Pegasus plane, which had 162 passengers on board, was left dangling precariously off a coastal cliff when its wheels dug into the freezing mud at Trabzon Airport.

Trabzon Governor Yücel Yavuz said that a crisis desk was set up after the accident and asserted that overnight examinations confirmed that there are no longer any problems with the runway.

‘We’ve taken all necessary measures. We will reopen the airport to air traffic as soon as possible,’ said Yavuz.

Yavuz said the cause of the accident was not yet known, and closed the airport overnight to conduct an investigation.

Dramatic photos appear to show smoke billowing from the cabin, however Yavuz said all 162 passengers and crew on board were evacuated safely.

After losing control over the plane as it skid off out of the runway, the passenger jet was left precariously hanging over a cliff by the sea.

The airport was closed to air traffic as a result of the passenger

According to a statement by Turkish Airlines’ Press Office, two Trabzon-bound flights from Istanbul and one Istanbul-bound flight were cancelled due to the Trabzon Airport shutting down until 8:00 AM following the accident.