国内英语新闻:Doubts surround China's plane crash probe

Initial probes and survivors' accounts indicated the plane missed the runway and crashed on the ground, breaking the cabin into two pieces and triggering a mild explosion.

No signs of sabotage have been found so far, investigators said

While several ground service staff at Lindu Airport said, on condition of anonymity, that it was foggy with low visibility when the plane crashed Tuesday night, the local weather bureau suggested otherwise.

The meteorological bureau of Yichun City, which regularly forecasts fog and other extreme weather conditions, found no signs of heavy fog that day.

"The city proper was not foggy at all between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.," said Han Guangtian, the bureau chief. "Fog was possible at the airport, though, because it is located in a mountain valley surrounded by lush forests."

The forest area, he said, tends to be colder and more humid than the downtown areas, but still, "heavy fog was unlikely."

The industry watchdog, General Administration of Civil Aviation (CAAC), has not published any details of the accident, but citizens and several industry insiders said it was indeed foggy upon landing, the pilot should have landed at an adjacent airport in Jiamusi City.

The plane crashed at around 9:36 p.m. shortly after its captain told ground controller he was "ready for normal landing", a top official in Yichun said Wednesday quoting airport authorities.

Survivor Xue Xilai remembered the accident happened shortly after the crew announced they were about to land. "They didn't say it was foggy on the ground. Nor did the crew say there was any danger."

The airport was shrouded in thick fog throughout the rescue operation Tuesday night. Until 5 a.m. Wednesday, visibility was no more than 300 meters.

The captain, 40-year-old Qi Quanjun, did not say anything about the accident except that he "couldn't remember anything", when interviewed by Xinhua at Yichun's No. 1 Hospital Wednesday morning.

Hospital president Qi Xingzhong said he suffered facial injuries that could not have affected his memory or speech.