Posted on 08/16/2010 10:14:10 AM PDT by Red Badger
One passenger was killed when an airplane crashed in bad weather and split into two when landing early Monday on the island of San Andres, Colombia, officials said.
The number of injured remained unclear Monday morning, but the national police said six of at least 127 people aboard the plane were not hurt.
There also were conflicting reports as to how many people were aboard the Aires airline 737-700 jet when it crashed around 1:49 a.m. (2:49 a.m. ET). The Colombian national police initially said the flight had 131 people -- 121 adult passengers, four minors and six crew members. A list the police later released, however, indicated 127 people on board -- 121 passengers and six crew members.
The passenger list included six Americans, five French, four Brazilians, four Costa Ricans and two Germans, said Col. Hector Carrascal, director of navigation services at the Colombian Civil Aviation Authority.
Police identified the woman who was killed as Amar Fernandez de Barreto. The passenger manifest, which goes by last name first, lists a Barreto Fernandez Paola Andrea.
There also was conflicting information about what caused the crash. The initial report from the national police said a downdraft may have shaken the airplane as it prepared to land. But Pedro Gallardo, governor of San Andres y Providencia state, told CNN en Español that lightning hit the plane. The pilot also reported a lightning strike, El Tiempo newspaper said.
A storm was reported in the area but not at the airport, Carrascal said.
The accident occurred about 260 feet (80 meters) before the start of the runway, Carrascal said. Wreckage was spread about another 328 feet (100 meters) on the runway, officials said.
(Excerpt) Read more at edition.cnn.com ...

Just Wow!.........
Poor lady.
Given that the plane has broken like a bread-stick, the death toll seems blessedly light.
Metal fatigue, it’s easier to keep old cars going because they don’t have the pressure effects aging the metals strength as quickly.
Thank God “only” one death...good work by the pilot I think...
Amazing ANYONE walked away. Looks like there was an army of Guardian Angels on duty this time...
So American workmanship aint to bad.. I say screw all the American hating countries... How many Arab Planes have been built. NONE,ZIP,ZERO,NADA!
I agree
Some of the other coverage quoted an airline official as saying, “the skill of the pilot kept the plane from colliding with the airport.”
Maybe it’s just me, but that doesn’t sound terribly reassuring.
Actually, I think colliding with the airport in a controlled fashion is the whole plan...
I am betting that ‘colliding with the airport’ was probably closer to ‘crashing into the airport’ in the original Spanish-language text.
According to a noon TV news report, she died of a heart attack.
It’s a wonder more didn’t.
el aeroplano dice "BANG!"
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