Only one fatality took place in a San Andres, Columbia crash that took place on Monday. The plane crashed while attempting to land. The reason for the wreck for certain yet, but is thought to be due to a lightning strike. The plane fragmented, but did not damage any buildings and had only one death which occurred following the crash. The avoidance of loss of life in the accident and also the wreckage being confined to the concourse has been attributed to the skill of the pilot.
Boeing 737 breaks apart on runway
The flight to San Andres from Bogota was a red eye flight. The plane approached the airport in bad weather and started to violently shake as AIRES Flight 8250 approached the runway. The pilot started to make an emergency landing just short of the runway when the plane split apart. Initially, as outlined by CNN, the crash was thought to be caused by a downdraft, though eyewitnesses saw a bolt of lightning strike the plane. The pilot of the flight also holds that the plane was hit by lightning. The plane snapped in two as it crash landed at Gustavo Rojas Pinillo airport. No damage occurred conserve for the plane.
All survived but one
According to Bloomberg, the only fatality was a 65 year old passenger who had a heart attack after the crash. There were six people who had no injuries whatsoever. The rest of passengers and crew had injuries, but no one is not expected for making a full recovery. At least 127 people were aboard the plane.
Pilot skill believed to have made the difference
Professional pilots are some of one of the most highly skilled workers in existence. These individuals are trained to not only steer very complicated machines in very precise trajectories over thousands of miles but also to know how to manage one in case things go wrong. The job affords little wiggle room and there is tremendous pressure involved in the job. The air travel trade is not exactly a care free environment, and numerous individuals have watched the saga of Steven Slater boiling over unfold. AIRES Flight 8250 had a good pilot, and he deserves commendation.
Further reading
CNN
cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/08/16/colombia.plane.fatality/?hpt=T1#fbid=QdDzKvaTDgY and wom=false
Bloomberg
bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-16/colombia-plane-splits-in-three-killing-1-and-injuring-114-el-tiempo-says.html
