EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A commercial passenger plane carrying 244 people has crashed, sparking a massive global rescue operation as experts investigate potential causes.
Aviation experts are already weighing in, suggesting that mechanical failure, weather conditions, or even pilot distress could have played a role battling time and challenging conditions in hopes of finding survivors, while hospitals nearby have been placed on high alert.
Families of the passengers are frantically awaiting word with scenes of heartbreak unfolding at airports and terminals connected to the ill-fated flight.