Air France plane crashes in Toronto

[T-man]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/08/02/toronto.crash/index.html

TORONTO, Canada (CNN) -- An Air France jet overran a runway and burst into flames Tuesday at Toronto's Pearson International Airport.

The Associated Press reported 200 passengers were onboard the Airbus 340. There was no information on casualties.

Flight 358 was scheduled to arrive from Paris's Charles de Gaulle International Airport at 3:35 p.m. EDT.

"This plane came off the runway. It slid off the runway and into this gully," said Toronto radio reporter Leah Walker, who witnessed the crash. "It's come off with probably a great amount of force into trees and the creek."

She said a fireball engulfed the plane.

"There are hundreds of emergency vehicles here to do whatever is possible to be done at this point."

Smoke billowed from the site, as scores of emergency workers sought to put it out.

Severe thunderstorms had occurred in the area beforehand.

Vito Porto, a freelance photographer, told Canada's Global television network that an explosion occurred after the crash, throwing debris for several hundred feet.

 

[A4sForever]

......

 

[T-man]

Latest report that I've heard is that all passangers were able to exit safely before the plane went up in flames. Lets hope and pray this is true.

 

[NavyWife2001]

It is! I was just checking drudgereport.com and it is reported everyone is a. ok.!
That was an Air Bus right?

 

[mules83]

That was an Air Bus right?

It was an A340 from Paris. It is amazing that everybody made it our alive. Congrats to the crew and hopefully the pilots did nothing stupid. There was talk about the airport being in some kind of 'red flag' conditions and the pilots didn’t do the smart move by continuing to land. Can’t conclude now due to lack of facts though.

My thoughts (non-airline pilot remark) are they hit a weak microburst (reported t-storms in area) and on the downwind side got blown too far down the runway. Passengers reported a normal landing up to skidding off the runway. Also there was talk about lightning striking the a/c which might mess up spoilers/flaps/auto-brakes. I'll let the airline guys give their more accurate thoughts.

 

[Brett327]

It was an A340 from Paris. It is amazing that everybody made it our alive. Congrats to the crew and hopefully the pilots did nothing stupid. There was talk about the airport being in some kind of 'red flag' conditions and the pilots didn’t do the smart move by continuing to land. Can’t conclude now due to lack of facts though.

My thoughts are they hit a weak microburst (reported t-storms in area) and on the downwind side got blown too far down the runway. Passengers reported a normal landing up to flying off the runway. Just my thoughts.

As if passengers would be able to detect an abnormal landing short of something catastrophic. Anyway, standing water looks like it was a factor as well as a possible lightening strike. Never believe first reports - words to live by.

Brett

 

[mules83]

As if passengers would be able to detect an abnormal landing short of something catastrophic. Anyway, standing water looks like it was a factor as well as a possible lightening strike. Never believe first reports - words to live by.

Brett

I have had my share of airline flights with family members/friends who dont know squat about flying and know the difference between hard and soft landings. They always ask after the hard landings what the he** was that to me since 'i know everything' to them.

 

[zab1001]

There's a world of difference between a true "hard landing" and a "firm touchdown".

Standby for unsolicited Monday Morning Quarterbacking.

 

[mules83]

There's a world of difference between a true "hard landing" and a "firm touchdown".

Standby for unsolicited Monday Morning Quarterbacking.

Im standing by, i tend to get it around here when i give my lack of knowledge points of views so im used to it. I dont mind so let the games begin.

 

[A4sForever]

AP reports the A340 was "landing in a thunderstorm" .... it was also reported to have touched down "normally". Water on the runway and hydroplaning would be a prime suspect for any investigation board as a starting place, in my opinion.

AP reported the plane was witnessed to "touch down nicely .... the sky was dark, lightning was 'happening', a lot of rain was coming down, 'he touches down nicely', and all of a sudden we heard the engines backing up (reverse thrust) and he went straight off the runway and into the valley"...... all from unprofessional sources.

Water on the runway --- hydroplaning --- reverse thrust no help/marginal help --- say goodnight. I hate "Ready-room commandos" (second guessers) but it looks like it was weather related .....

I was sitting in front of my TV in 1985 in Dallas watching the evening news while witnessing a HUGE thunderstorm developing and climbing higher and higher immediately north of the runways @ DFW. I remarked that I was "happy I'm not trying to get into DFW with that up there" ..... within 5 minutes the news broke in with a flash that a Delta jet had just crashed at the airport --- details to follow. I immediately said " that's it --- it's that thunderstorm --- they tried to fly through it".

It wasn't because I was smart or anything. It was just obvious --- not someplace I would want to be in an airplane. Unfortunately, it wasn't obvious to the controllers at DFW or the pilots in the Delta cockpit. There but for the grace of God go you or I ......

 

[nittany03]

It's drilled into our heads in the training command not to fly through or even near thunderstorms. How badly do scheduled airlines bend or break this rule to keep Joe Blow from missing his connection? What are the policies in place for convective SIGMETs and such?

 

[mules83]

It's drilled into our heads in the training command not to fly through or even near thunderstorms. How badly do scheduled airlines bend or break this rule to keep Joe Blow from missing his connection? What are the policies in place for convective SIGMETs and such?

i was flying over norfolk in a cessna from daytona to PA and heard atc telling a fedex and a usair plane about a 30 kt windshear in the approach into norfolk international while it was imc. Both planes tried the approach with the fedex plane landing and the usair going missed(went up to richmond). They just wanted to "try" it and if went to sour, they would fly somewhere else.

 

[snizo]

I flew TPA to IAH a few weeks ago on a CO 757 and took off just after a thunderstorm and basically turned right in and flew threw it on takeoff. The first 20 minutes of climb was all through clouds - watched lightning out the window the entire time and had some pretty bad turbulence (for a commercial flight).

I've flown quite a bit comercially and obviously have a little bit of stick time ... but my knuckles were turning a bit white through this...I can only imagine what granny across the aisle was thinking...

 

[Brett327]

I flew TPA to IAH a few weeks ago on a CO 757 and took off just after a thunderstorm and basically turned right in and flew threw it on takeoff. The first 20 minutes of climb was all through clouds - watched lightning out the window the entire time and had some pretty bad turbulence (for a commercial flight).

I've flown quite a bit comercially and obviously have a little bit of stick time ... but my knuckles were turning a bit white through this...I can only imagine what granny across the aisle was thinking...

I love watching everyone else freak out during turbulence on a COMAIR flight.

Good times,

Brett

 

[gregsivers]

I love watching everyone else freak out during turbulence on a COMAIR flight.

Good times,

Brett

Seriously. I enjoy it most of the time, makes an otherwise dull and boring flight a little more interesting.