Turkish plane crash outside Amsterdam - 9 dead but could have been worse [PICTURES]

Thanks to mud and an experienced ex-air force pilot, the plane broke into 3 fragments but most survived.

clipped from news.yahoo.com clipped from news.yahoo.com "Visibility was clear and around 5,000 yards (4,500 meters). Some 550 yards (500 meters) before landing; the plane landed on a field instead of the runway," he said. "We have checked the plane's documents and there is no problem concerning maintenance," he added. Turkish Airlines head Temel Kotil said the captain, Hasan Tahsin, is very experienced and a former air force pilot. "Certainly it appears to be an unusual circumstance, but as always the sensible course of action is to wait for the results of the investigation into the causes leading up to the accident," he said. There was no indication that the crash had anything to do with the fuel level, Evers said, adding that regulations require all commercial flights to carry ample reserves. The fact that the plane crash landed in a muddy, plowed field may have contributed to making the accident less deadly, experts said, by absorbing much of the force of the hard impact.