747 Splits in Two on T/O

[AKAAB]

Edit - didn't realize it was Kalitta from the news report I saw. Sorry for the second thread.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/05/25/belgium.aircrash.ap/index.html

 

[Midnight Flyer]

geez, how the he** did that happen!?!?

 

[Airbus300]

U.S. cargo plane crashes on takeoff in Belgium

Four injured in Brussels as Boeing 747 splits in two at end of runway


BRUSSELS, Belgium - A cargo plane crashed at the end of a runway and split in two while trying to take off at Brussels airport on Sunday, authorities said.
Four of the five crew members on board the Boeing 747 were slightly injured, said Francis Vermeiren, mayor of the nearby town of Zaventem. The mayor was coordinating rescue efforts after the crash.
"The plane is not on fire but it has split into two," he told VRT radio.
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Firefighters were coating the wings of the plane with special fire retardant foam as a precaution because the plane was still full of jet fuel, the mayor said.
He said the plane was on a scheduled flight to Bahrain. It was not known what cargo the plane was carrying.
Michigan-based carrier

The plane came to a halt at the end of a runway, near houses and a cemetery.
Vermeiren said the pilot told rescue authorities he heard a large noise while trying to take off just after midday. It was not yet clear what caused the crash.
The plane is owned by Kalitta Air, a cargo carrier based in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

 

[EuroWheenie]

I can see the aircraft from my bedroom window, and it's a rather sad sight.

Flight was the scheduled BRU-BAH run, with the majority of the freight being either USPS or DHL.

All crew and 1 pax got off with minor injuries, probably sustained going down the slide. Nose is over an incline, and I can imagine it would have been a fairly steep descend down to terra firma.

The "poliitical " RWY20 was in use. Runway usage in BRU is decided by politicians rather than operations. 02/20 is frequently used at week-ends, 07/25L-R on week-days - and (almost) to hell with wind direction! One has a feeling this policy might be reversed.

25R is almost 2000ft longer than 20, and would probably have afforded the space needed to bring the aircraft to a full stop.

Only speculation as to why the RTO was carried out, rumours have the skipper heard a "strange banging noise" and decided today would be a bad day to commit aviation.

25L/07R and 20 are closed UFN.

 

[countbat]

Maybe now someone will start looking into Connie's way of doing business

 

[Onlyflyfreight]

Anybody know if this was one of their older airplanes or a 400?

 

[Beer&Brauts]

My crew and I were taking the train from FRA (beats flying) and saw this out the window - certainly not what we had hoped to see while passing by the airport. I'm glad no one on the crew was seriously injured - I wouldn't want to go down that slide!

I agree BRU is one of the most f'ed up airports in the world. Their politics I'm sure had a lot to do with DHL moving much of their sort to Leipzig.

I will try to post some pics on airliners.net later on.

 

[countbat]

I know what's going on through Connie's head right now. Some good old duct tape will fix the plane, plenty of crews willing to fly it back, nice new paint will make a brand new plane, money from insurance.

 

[sat74]

Rabbit FOD perhaps!?

In all seriousness, this is too bad. Glad the crew is ok.

 

[FBN0223]

http://portfolio.lesoir.be/main.php?g2_itemId=192634