A plane with 170 passengers aboard crashed into a gas station after landing at Sao Paulo’s airport
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,289696,00.html
Also currently live video on cnn.com
Sorry no other info available as this is a breaking story
More info via breitbart.com
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) - A passenger plane with as many 170 people aboard crashed and burst into flames Tuesday after landing at Brazil’s busiest airport, the nation’s airport authority said.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths by authorities, but flames shot into the sky and clouds of black smoke billowed into the air after the Airbus-320 skidded off the runway.
The plane then traveled across a busy road at the height of the evening rush hour in South America’s largest city and slammed into a gas station, said Jose Leonardi Mota, a spokesman with airport authority Infraero.
In conflicting reports, some Brazilian media said the plane actually crashed into a building or warehouse owned by Tam, and television images showed firefighters spraying water onto the building bearing a Tam sign. Globo TV reported at least six people who were on the plane were undergoing treatment.
Tam Linhas Aereas flight 3054 was en route to Sao Paulo from the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre with between 150 and 170 people on board, Mota said.
“At this moment, we cannot determine the extent of possible injuries suffered by the airplanes occupants and crew members,” Tam said in a statement.
The accident happened during heavy rains, and critics have warned for years that such an accident was possible at the airport because its runway is too short for large planes landing when the runway is wet.
A federal court in February briefly banned takeoffs and landings of large jets at the airport because of safety concerns at Congonhas airport, which handles huge volumes of flights for the massive domestic Brazilian air travel market.
But an appeals court overruled the ban on three types of planes, saying it was too harsh because it would have severe economic ramifications, and that there were not enough safety concerns to prevent the planes from landing and taking off the airport.
Tuesday’s crash came 10 months after Brazil’s deadliest crash, a September collision between a Gol Aerolinhas Inteligentes SA Boeing 737 and an executive jet over the Amazon rainforest.
All 154 people on the passenger jet died. The executive jet landed safely.
The accident happened during heavy rains, and critics have said for years that such an accident was possible at the airport because its runway is too short for large planes landing in rainy weather.
A federal court in February briefly banned takeoffs and landings of large jets at the airport because of safety concerns at the airport, which handles huge volumes of flights for the massive domestic Brazilian air travel market.
But an appeals court overruled the ban, saying it was too harsh because it would have severe economic ramifications and that there were not enough safety concerns to prevent the planes from landing and taking off the airport.
PR-MBK is the 16th hull loss of an Airbus 320 and the worst A320 crash to date. The following YouTube video is taken from inside a TAM Airbus departing same runway, in which you can see the gas station at the end of the runway.
YouTube ](Taking off from Congonhas Airport - YouTube) Take-off from Congonhas Airport
The following website, type in TAM on top bar, and afew videos from live coverage of the crash will come up. Included in the videos is an ATR-42 PT-MFK that slid off the same runway the day before, forunately it didn’t exit the airport.
TAM](Globoplay | Assista online aos programas da Globo) News coverage from Brazilian TV
PR-MBK](PR-MBK | Airbus A320-233 | TAM Linhas Areas | Tsuyoshi Hayasaki | JetPhotos) photo of aircraft reported to be lost in crash.
The following is a witness statement from a person at the gas station next to the building hit.
“The plane was skidding, it looked like it was taxiing, I never saw something so ugly” said Lus Santos, working for CTS Security, who was in a black Volkswagen at the gas station during the accident. The siding of the vehicle was marked by debris from the plane. “I could hear the increasing roar of the turbine and the plane kept growing. He passed ‘liking’ right about where the street electric wires are. When it hit [the building?], everything exploded”, added Santos.
Congonhas Airport ](- - - | Aviation Photo #0297560 | Airliners.net) long white building at bottom left, is TAM Cargo Reception Building.
TAM Cargo](Airbus A319-132 - TAM | Aviation Photo #1056400 | Airliners.net) clearly shows the building that was hit.
30 foot drop ](- - - | Aviation Photo #0018003 | Airliners.net) from the runway to the road and buildings below.
How do I find the time of the landing/crash? I tried entering the airport code (SBSP) and the flight number (JJ3054) into the flight tracker, but no joy.
I am trying to analyze meteorological satellite imagery leading up to the crash, since media reports stated that is happened in a “blinding rain storm”. Thanks!
Flight Aware only reports on flights that are tracked by the US FAA. You won’t find info here for a flight that completely took place in Brazilian airspace.
CNN’s Miles O’Brien, a GA pilot, is reporting that the runway was recently resurfaced and local authorities were waiting for the paving to “cure” before restoring the runway grooving that provides drainage channels to remove rainwater.
Local investigators are looking into whether Brazilian aviation authorities rushed to reopen the airport’s recently resurfaced runway, which had been closed for several weeks for repairs.
The runway was actually scheduled to be “grooved” on July 25.
BBC News Update](BBC NEWS | Americas | Brazilian plane crash 'kills 200')
PHOTO of wreckage](ItemFix - Social Video Factory)Video footage](ItemFix - Social Video Factory)
Can you let us know what you find out about the weather conditions? There were reports that the plane tried to take off again, which brings into question the issue of wind sheer near the ground. Like most disasters, there will be several key errors — any one of which would be eliminated and this would not have happened. Does anyone know if this airport has wind sheer radar?
Following excerpts are from Professional Pilot Rumor Network;
Sbsp 172200z 35008kt 7000 -ra Bkn008 Ovc070 15/14 Q1018
Sbsp 172100z 34008kt 6000 -ra Bkn009 Ovc070 16/14 Q1018
Sbsp 172030z 32009kt 7000 -ra Bkn013 Ovc080 16/14 Q1018
Sbsp 172000z 31012kt 8000 -ra Bkn016 Ovc080 17/14 Q1018
Sbsp 171900z 34009kt 9999 -ra Bkn016 Bkn080 18/15 Q1017
- Chatting with very good friend of mine, he told me that he flew that same aircraft monday and that reverser #2 was INOP (on monday). Although required landing distance does not take into account reverser deployment, this could help to make things worse.
Rippa, Has TAM denied the reverser #2 being inop in its press conference?
No. I watched the press conference and the VP of ops told the press that the rev #2 was inop (secured closed). The VP of engeneering didnt give much attention to that, replying that the reversers are not mandatory for CGH ops and that the landing weight was within safety margins (62.7 T)…in other words, aircraft was within flight envelope.
Translated statement from TAM Air President
With much sadness, we report an accident to our flight JJ 3054, which left Salgado Filho Airport, Porto Alegre, at 17.16 local time, bound for Sao Paolo Congonhas.
On my behalf and from all directors of TAM, from our employees, we express our strongest solidarity with the families of the victims. Our absolute priority right now is with the families and friends of the passengers, employees and crew. We hope to do everything we can to help in the face of this tragedy.
From the first moments (after the crash), TAM mobilised its entire corporation, teams of doctors, psychologists and social assistance as required.We hope to provide transport for families of victims from outside Sao Paolo, as part of our Program of Assistance for the Families of Victims. We await the results (?) of the investigation of the circumstances leading to this tragedy. Be assured that the crew (captain, co pilot and cabin crew) had great competence, experience and dedication and were trained to the highest world standards. The aircraft, registered MBK (PT-MBK) was incorporated into our fleet in December 2006 and was in perfect condition of maintenance, navigation (?) and operation.
(?) … 162 passengers, 6 crew, 18 TAM employees on board our aircraft, together with clients and colleagues in our cargo terminal on Avenue Washington Luiz, where the accident took place, 3 victims dead, 5 missing (?) and 11 hospitalised.
We promise our total cooperation with the civil aviation authorities in the course of the investigation.
Meanwhile, our operations continue as normal.
Respectfully,
M A Bologna
President of TAM
Fokker 100 photo, that went off runway back in 1991 just shy of where the Airbus went off.
[ Fokker 100 photo ]](Fokker 100 (F-28-0100) - TAM | Aviation Photo #0261405 | Airliners.net)
Could someone please explain why they would not divert large planes to Guarulhos Intl (SBGR) which is only 15 miles away and has a runway nearly twice as long at 12,151 ft? Especially in bad weather!
On January 4, 2002, about 1221 eastern standard time, a Cessna CJ525, PT-XJS, registered to Transportadora Julio Simoes s.a., crashed during taxi after landing at Congonhas Airport, Sao Paulo, Brazil, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 business flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and it is unknown if a flight plan was filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The crew of two and two passengers reported no injuries. The flight had departed the Marcos A. Gelabert Airport, Panama at 1405. The aircraft made a normal landing, and proceeded to the end of the runway, at excessive speed. It was raining, and the runway wa wet. There was a sharp drop off or cliff at the end of the runway. The pilot attempted to turn the airplane onto a taxiway, but the aircraft began to slide sideways and backwards, and fell over the edge of the drop off. This investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Government of Brazil. Any further information may be obtained from: Department of Civil Aviation Dippa Airport Santos Dumont Sala 320 Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Telephone: 55-21-220-6577 This report is for information purposes only and contains information released by or obtained for the Government of Brazil.
Statutes:
Date: Dec 1, 1992
Hour: 12:05
Type/Sub-type: Cessna 550 Quotation S/II
Company: TAM - Txi Areo Marlia
Registration: PT-LKT
Msn/C/n: S550-0117
Crew: 0 victim out of 4 members of crew on board
Passengers: 0 victim out of 0 passenger on board
Total: 0 victim out of 4 people on board
Dgats of the apparatus: Total loss
Place of the accident: So Paulo-Congonhas Airport, SP (CGH) (Brazil)
Phase of flight: With landing (ATT)
Nature: Drive
Starting airport: So Paulo-Congonhas Airport, SP (CGH)
Airport of destination: So Paulo-Congonhas Airport, SP (CGH)
Details:
Overran wet runway one landing, fell down has 30m slope and caught fire.
As with most things in life the answer is a mix of politics and economics.
“A federal court in February briefly banned takeoffs and landings of large jets at So Paulo-Congonhas because of safety concerns at the airport, which handles huge volumes of flights for the massive domestic Brazilian air travel market.”
“But an appeals court overruled the ban, saying it was too harsh because it would have severe economic ramifications and that there were not enough safety concerns to prevent the planes from landing and taking off the airport.”
To a politico, “Not enough safety concerns” usually translates as “Not enough people have died yet” to warrant changing the status quo.
I had read yesterday of a security tape being released today, it shows the TAM airliner speeding down the runway, as the aircraft goes out of view, moments later you see the glow from the fireball of impact.
Airbus last moments caught on security cam](ItemFix - Social Video Factory)
A second video from Brazilian TV compares the speed of the aircraft that landed prior to TAM Airbus, you may have to click the video player which shows above video, when complete, click again and second video will play.
[ Coverage from Brazilian TV ]](G1 > Edição São Paulo - NOTÍCIAS - Veja vídeos do momento da explosão do avião da TAM)
In the second video, the first aircraft passes in about 13 seconds, as you can see the blinking lights on the buildings the frame speed of the film is unchanged, the TAM airbus passes in 3 seconds.
[ YouTube videos or crash site ]](- YouTube)
Focus of Brazil air crash shifts away from runway
The FDR and CVR are going to be very telling on this one. Witnesses had claimed it was an attempted go around. Then again if the #1 reverser were deployed (#2 was inop) and spooled up it would sound like that and account for the swerve to the left.
Another possibility is that it was a go around and the loss of ground effect over the 30’ drop-off at the end of the runway accounts for missing the perimeter fence and flying over the highway.
No question that the surveillance video shows an unusually fast speed.
news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070721/ap_ … lane_crash
Also Saturday, officials said they had mistakenly sent part of the plane’s fuselage to the United States, thinking it was the flight recorder.
Gen. Jorge Kersul Filho, head of the air force’s accident prevention division, told reporters in Sao Paulo that the real flight recorder had been located early Saturday in the wreckage and would be sent to Washington for analysis, a process expected to take several days.
I’m sure most have watched this video before, if not, here is a video of a runway over run by a commercial airliner.
[ ]LiveLeak video](ItemFix - Social Video Factory)