Passenger jet on fire at Toronto airport
Last Updated Tue, 02 Aug 2005 17:00:12 EDT
CBC News
An Air France jet with as many as 200 people aboard has skidded off a runway while landing at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, bursting into flames and sending thick black smoke pouring into the air.
There is no word on the condition of the passengers and crew members on board the A340, with the plane still burning an hour after the 3:50 p.m. crash.
The Air France jet burst into flames after skidding off a runway at Toronto's Pearson Airport Tuesday.
The jet has a capacity of about 200 people.
The airplane was trying to land in bad weather when it skidded off the runway just metres from one of Toronto's busiest roads, Highway 401.
"There was quite a downpour. The visibility was really bad, with lots of lightning," said John Finday, a CBC News journalist who was at the airport at the time of the accident.
The jet crashed through barriers and ended up in a small ravine at the far west end of the airport, the fuselage tipped down and the aircraft's tail in the air.
"An Air France plane landing on runway 2-4 went off the end of the runway in the area of Convair Drive and the 401 area in Mississauga," Peel police Sgt. Glyn Griffiths said at about 4:30 p.m.
Rescue crews trying to extinguish the flames.
He said the number and extent of injuries was still unknown.
The incident happened as most operations at the airport were grounded because of the severe thunderstorms that had been reported in the area.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 4:23 pm Posts: 3721 Location: Canada
The last I heard, there were injuries, but no one was killed.
I work very close to Pearson Airport and there was a huge thunderstorm at the time of the crash. We couldn't see out the windows because of the pounding rain, but when the rain cleared up the sky was full of black smoke. It was very surreal.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 4:56 pm Posts: 19957 Location: Jenny Lewis' funbags
petemd wrote:
I was wathcing the news footage and unfortunatley it looks like most everyone was hurt w/ many casaulties. (speculating of course)
In hindsight, whatever supposedly reputable news agency reported that should really start checking their sources. Every channel i was watching (CNN, CTV, CBC all of which would have been before you posted) reported at that poing that there were no casualties and very few serious injuries.
I was wathcing the news footage and unfortunatley it looks like most everyone was hurt w/ many casaulties. (speculating of course)
In hindsight, whatever supposedly reputable news agency reported that should really start checking their sources. Every channel i was watching (CNN, CTV, CBC all of which would have been before you posted) reported at that poing that there were no casualties and very few serious injuries.
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