Prayers...
OMG
I’ve been on that flight more than once.
CNN says 145 passengers, 7 crew members, origin DCA (Reagan Nat’l here in Northern Virginia) with stop at MIA (Miami). All passengers have exited the plane, which overshot the runway at KIN (Kingston).
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/12/22/jamaica.plane/
Evac in progress, I guess that can be a good sign... a passenger was on her cell phone (via Fox on the Net).
From Flyertalk:
AA 331 crash landed at 10:30 pm, went off runway in very bad weather
It’s a 737-800 carrying 145 pax and 7 crew. A posting notes AA has withdrawn the “No Injuries” release.
Close call mon.
Now that everyone’s safe, I can refer to my own pet peeves: why can’t headlines use English? It’s not “Jamaica,” but “Jamaican.” LaGuardia is also a “Jamaica airport.” Kingston is a “Jamaican airport.”
no problem mon
Kingston Weather at Crash Time. Very bad...
Note the Dew Point/Temp spead.
MKJP 230400Z 32014KT 11500 +SHRA BKN014 FEW016CB SCT028 BKN090 21/18 Q1013 RERA
MKJP 230300Z 32008KT 33000 +SHRA BKN014 FEW016CB SCT030 BKN100 21/20 Q1014 RETSRA
MKJP 230228Z 31009KT 5000 TSRA BKN014 FEW016CB SCT030 BKN100 22/19 Q1013
MKJP 230200Z 30012KT 5000 SHRA BKN014 SCT030 BKN100 22/20 Q1013 RERA
Very bad weather. And that temp./dewpoint spread is very close!!
From memory thats a small airport. Prayers
Prayers.
There obviously were survivors speaking to media, so hopefully they all made it out despite what sounds like a horrific crash with the plane breaking in half.
plane crashed and broke in two and all passengers exited safely? That doesn’t compute but glad everyone appears to be OK, I think
Damn!
MORE INFO:
Aircraft is N977AN(ACARSD), built 2001.
From Airliners:
Live radio broadcast from KIN is reporting that 3 passengers are seriously injuries and are now being treated at the Kingston Public Hospital. The news report also says the emergency service is now activated and the airport is now closed.
So far there are no fatalities reported.
SIDE NOTE:
A Virgin Airways flight, running 14 hours late, was just pushing away from the gate when this happened, and the airport closed.
Quick...ban planes and take over healthcare!!
Here is the ongoing discussion at Airliners.Net (an aviation enthusiasts forum)
http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/4649947/