[Paleo Conservative]

Passenger jet on fire at Toronto airport

Last Updated Tue, 02 Aug 2005 16:52:51 EDT
CBC News

An Air France jet with as many as 200 people aboard has skidded off a runway 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 left went off the end of the runway in the area of Convert Drive and the 401 area in Mississauga," Peel police Sgt. Glyn Griffiths said at about 4:30 p.m. "Unknown at the time of any injuries. Flame was seen from the plane. And full response by all emergency vehicles."

The incident happened as most operations at the airport were grounded because of the severe thunderstorms that had been reported in the area.

Rescue crews are on the scene.

[Clemenza]

Is it indeed an A340?

This is terrible.

[timsbella]

I work five minutes from there at Eglinton/Renforth - insane amount of rain, hail and thunder this afternoon. You can see the smoke from the building. Nothing is moving on the highway - apparently a lot of cars stopped on the 401 - looks like the plane is in the ditch.

[Aeronaut]

I usually don't ping when you do, Paleo, but we don't want to miss anyone on this.

[Wilhelm Tell]

Well, it is too early to know what happened but at least it crashed on landing from a trans-Atlantic flight and not while taking off for a trans-Atlantic flight. Most of the fuel had been already used up in flight, but I don't know how much reserve fuel would still be onboard after a trans-Atlantic flight.

[azhenfud]

Prayers for the crew and passengers.

[Vigilanteman]

Airbus and wind shear seem to go together. Fortunately, it appears everyone survived. I was in Japan during the Nagoya crash when only a small child survived. The Japanese airlines overwhelmingly buy Boeing, even for short-haul flights like Tokyo-Osaka.

[Darkwolf377]

Oh chill out the whole bunch of you. If you read what I wrote in context you'd get my meaning through my admittedly stupid and crappy phrasing.

Creationism is a competing ANSWER for the question of creation. Of course it's not a science-based one--you all seem to have ignored that I began my post by pointing out I don't believe in Creationism--but Creationism is of sufficient popularity that it SHOULD be taught in a science course about evolution if only to show how significant opposition exists.

You knew the point I was making, but you're just as hysterical as the Creationists.

[PAR35]

the A340 ... The jet has a capacity of about 200 people.

Stupid reporter alert for the CBC. The 340 holds a lot more than 200 people.

[GOP_1900AD]

Prayers ....