Thu, Jul 19, 2007
Witness Says Landing Was Second Attempt
Short runways and rain just don't
mix. On the same day a TAM Airlines jet went off the end of a rain-slick runway in
Brazil, a Colombian passenger jet did much the same
thing.
At least six people were injured Tuesday when an AeroRepublica
Embraer 190 carrying 54 passengers and five crew members landed at
Simon Bolivar Airport, in the coastal city of Santa Marta, in heavy
rain and skidded off the end of the runway, breaking through a
fence and diving nose-first into the Caribbean sea.
Passenger Jose Valencia told Agence France-Presse the landing
was actually the second attempt and the aircraft touched down
halfway down the runway.
"The runway was wet, and with all that wind the plane could not
stop and went straight before turning on its side with its nose
ending up in the water," he said.
The injuries were said to be minor and all passengers were able
to exit the aircraft on the deployed emergency chutes.
Colombia's Transportation Minister Andres Uriel Gallego said the
government would study a long-standing proposal to privatize and
relocate the airport as a result of the accident, according to the
Associated Press.
That runway at SMR is 5,575 feet long and there have been
complaints about it in the past -- as there had been at the Sao
Paulo airport, site of Tuesday's fatal accident involving a TAM
Airlines A320.
We've also had some problems at the airport," said Fabio
Villegas, President of Avianca, the country's largest airline. "I
think it's worth the effort for aviation authorities, together with
the airlines, take another look at any operational limits that
exist at the airport."
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