The Sabena Airlines plane exploded as it hit the ground. The 73 victims included 11 crew and a man working in a field where the plane came down.

Most of the passengers were American. They included 17 members of the United States figure-skating team who were on their way to Prague, Czechoslovakia, to take part in the world championships next week.

Lost contact

The aircraft crashed into a field near farms, tearing into electric cables before hitting the ground.

One Belgian official said the pilot lost contact with the Brussels control tower immediately after being handed over from Ostend radio station and while the Boeing was still 25 miles from Brussels.

The pilot tried to land the plane but overshot the runway and turned round to make a second approach.

The official added: "The pilot apparently tried to gain height again after coming in to land, but failed. Something strange seemed to have happened. The aircraft spiralled down in small circles before it finally crashed."

A village priest who saw the crash said there was a flash and "the aircraft began to lose height rapidly and nosedived. There was a terrific bang and smoke mushroomed sky-high".

King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium have been to the scene of the crash. Wreckage from the plane is scattered in a muddy field close to a farming hamlet, about three miles from the airport runway.

The plane's flight recorder has already been recovered. Investigators hope it will help them identify the cause of the crash.

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