Passenger Plane Carrying 160 People Crashes in Venezuela

Tge New York Times ^ | August 16, 2005 | BRIAN ELLSWORTH and JUAN FORERO

[Paleo Conservative]

CARACAS, Venezuela, Aug. 16 -- An airliner carrying 160 passengers and crew members crashed into a mountain in northern Venezuela early today after reporting engine trouble, killing all aboard, aviation authorities said.

The plane, an MD-82 made by McDonnell Douglas and operated by West Caribbean Airways of Colombia, was carrying French vacationers to Martinique from Panama when the pilots reported engine problems to Venezuelan air-traffic controllers at 3:07 a.m., the authorities in Venezuela said. Ten minutes later, the controllers lost radio contact.

The plane crashed in the Sierra de Perija mountain range just inside Venezuela's rugged northwestern border with Colombia, Venezuela's interior minister, Jesse Chacon, said. The remains of the plane were spread across a wide swath not far from the town of Machiques, which is about 90 miles southwest of Maracaibo, Venezuela's second-largest city.

West Caribbean Flight 708 first reported problems to controllers at Maiquetía Símon Bolivar International Airport outside Caracas, according to Francisco Paz, president of the country's aeronautical authority, the National Civil Aviation Institute.

[Paleo Conservative]

There was an earlier thread based on an ABC story announcing the crash. This is a later and more thorough story.

[Paleo Conservative]

Another Airliner Crash -- Venezuela This Time. 152 On Board – Details To Follow
ABC / reporting AP | AP


Posted on 08/16/2005 6:41:08 AM CDT by MindBender26

[Paleo Conservative]

If you want on or off my aerospace ping list, please contact me by Freep mail not by posting to this thread.

[COEXERJ145]

Let the conspiracy theories begin and unroll the tin foil!

[devane617]

I have not read the stories about this crash. Any similarities to the Athens crash?

[Paleo Conservative]

I have not read the stories about this crash. Any similarities to the Athens crash?

Other than the fact that the planes were different aircraft types manufactured by different manufacturers and had different problems, who knows? I'd rather doubt it.

[Arkie2]

Yes. In both cases an airplane crashed.

[MindBender26]

1: Airplanes
2: They crashed
3: Both were flown by men.
4: Both men had eaten rice within the last 14 days.

... so, as you can plainly see, it's obviously a conspiracy involving two Chinese terrorists named Liu.

[G.Mason]

"Let the conspiracy theories begin and unroll the tin foil!"

Undoubtably the airline mechanics were Walmart shoppers and used inferior parts made by the Chicoms who are plotting to take over the world as soon as the Mooselimbs are through getting their kicks.

[RightWhale]

The remains of the plane were spread across a wide swath

No style points.

[Solamente]

Phew! Good thing I was getting busy with Madonna and missed my flight!

[devane617]

Fron the responses I received I guess my question was offbase a bit. Hmmm...

[TXBSAFH]

In the eternal battle between the ground and aircraft. The ground has yet to lose.

[RightWhale]

I have nothing but sympathy for Madonna's injury. Ribs are no fun. What is her name these days, by the way? If she is trying to run the Kabala with her old name she probably isn't having a lot of success.

[Arkie2]

The best the plane can do is break even. No pun intended.

[TXBSAFH]

But to many break often.

[Arkie2]

Following is an excerpt from a press report found on an aviation website with two possible and completely tinfoil hat free explanations. It's a great aviation website as most who post there are related in some way to aviation.

Peter Goelz, former managing director of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, said investigators would most likely look for evidence of fuel contamination.

---

"It's not unusual to lose one engine. It is unusual to lose both," Goelz said. "One of the first things you always look at is fuel contamination."

Goelz said he understood that both engines had recently had work done on them to suppress noise. Within the last few weeks, he said, hush kits _ noise-suppression devices _ were supplied to the engines.

The United States sent four investigators to Venezuela to help.


http://pprune.com/forums/showthread.php?s=9ab984859aa719bf773aa26d0ea0874a&threadid=186100&perpage=15&pagenumber=2

[Zuben Elgenubi]

"Within the last few weeks, he said, hush kits _ noise-suppression devices _ were supplied to the engines."

Apparently, they failed

[Arkie2]

Was that sarcasm? Otherwise there's no need to suppose anything as fuel contamination was also mentioned as a possible cause.

[partyrepub]

VENS Riechstag it will end up being americans who shot it down. Watch.