Passenger plane on fire at Toronto airport
August 2, 2005 1:43 PM   Subscribe

Passenger plane on fire at Toronto airport. About 200 people on board.
posted by ori (56 comments total)
 
CTV has online video (which is pretty scary looking).
posted by smackfu at 1:50 PM on August 2, 2005


I can see the smoke from my office building. It was raining like a mother fucker out here not too long ago, which I am guessing caused the crash.
posted by chunking express at 1:53 PM on August 2, 2005


It skidded off the runway while trying to land. We have the tv on but there's still no word on whether anyone has escaped the plane. Yes, the weather has been stormy and wet all afternoon.

The plane is still burning in a ravine near near Corvair Drive, just north of the 401 highway.
posted by maudlin at 1:55 PM on August 2, 2005


Air France 358 from Paris to Toronto
Airbus 340
Crashed near runway 24 Left
SeatGuru reports it seats 276.
posted by ori at 2:01 PM on August 2, 2005


Right next to a traffic camera.
posted by smackfu at 2:07 PM on August 2, 2005


Ah... the best of the web...


Or..... is..... it?
posted by jpburns at 2:08 PM on August 2, 2005


Washingtonpost.com also has a video feed of the traffic camera.
posted by skynxnex at 2:09 PM on August 2, 2005


They're saying on the video feed that the pilot and passengers were taken to the hospital, so maybe everyone got out!
posted by mrs.pants at 2:16 PM on August 2, 2005


Dear God, I hope so...
posted by Moral Animal at 2:18 PM on August 2, 2005


CNNi has it on tv right now. Eye witness says that the plane touched the runway but then went off the concrete, onto the grass, and into a valley where it broke into half.
posted by riffola at 2:21 PM on August 2, 2005


Police said the plane was an Air France passenger jet that was trying to land when it ran into trouble. There was a storm -- with lightning, strong wind gusts and even hail -- in the area at the time.

Was this a sudden storm, or did Air Traffic Control know about it ahead of time? Seems strange that the plane would have tried to land in a storm that bad.

Hope everyone comes out healthy.
posted by voltairemodern at 2:27 PM on August 2, 2005




Yawn . . . tell me something I don't need mainstream TV to find out.
posted by Coherence Panda at 2:31 PM on August 2, 2005


*waits for "It's only Air France, so who cares?" comment*
posted by mr_crash_davis at 2:33 PM on August 2, 2005


This just in!
posted by puke & cry at 2:34 PM on August 2, 2005 [1 favorite]


Minutes after crash...
SPECI CYYZ 022004Z 34024G33KT 1 1/4SM +TSRA S
CT015 OVC045TCU RMK RA2SF2TCU5 CB ASOCTD=


This has Delta Flight 191 written all over it.
posted by rolypolyman at 2:34 PM on August 2, 2005


That is a wind of 28 mph gusting to 38 mph, btw; sorry I didn't decode the weather report (METAR format).
posted by rolypolyman at 2:35 PM on August 2, 2005




Full translation of the METAR: Special update for Toronto Pearson airport, August 2, 20:04 UTC, winds at 340 degrees, 24 knots gusting to 33 knots, visibility 1 1/4 statute miles, heavy thunderstorms and rain, scattered clouds at 1500 feet, overcast with towering cumulus at 4500 feet, and then a bit more info about the different types of clouds in the sky.
posted by blacklite at 2:41 PM on August 2, 2005


Roel Brammar, who was at the back of the plane says he saw lightning and thinks the plane was hit by it.
posted by riffola at 2:48 PM on August 2, 2005


thanks blacklite!
posted by cavalier at 2:49 PM on August 2, 2005


I hope they're ok--the WaPo feed had a survivor doing voiceover, so maybe they all got out?
posted by amberglow at 2:49 PM on August 2, 2005


riff, is your family all ok in Mumbai?
posted by amberglow at 2:49 PM on August 2, 2005


"lightning was causing technical problems with the airport's lightning-detection system"

okay.
posted by lazymonster at 2:50 PM on August 2, 2005


At mid-afternoon Tuesday, a spokesperson with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority said lightning was causing technical problems with the airport's lightning-detection system.

I love how news stories can say stuff like that without batting an eye.
posted by knave at 2:51 PM on August 2, 2005


Damn, beat by a lazy monster.
posted by knave at 2:53 PM on August 2, 2005


When will fire learn?!
posted by TwelveTwo at 2:54 PM on August 2, 2005


rolypolyman writes "SPECI CYYZ 022004Z 34024G33KT 1 1/4SM +TSRA S
"CT015 OVC045TCU RMK RA2SF2TCU5 CB ASOCTD="


It's so obvious! :-)
posted by clevershark at 2:59 PM on August 2, 2005


Most are expected to have survived, says local news. Only minor injuries.
posted by mkn at 3:04 PM on August 2, 2005


Only took the Freepers 73 posts to suggest TERRAH as the motive.
posted by wakko at 3:04 PM on August 2, 2005


It's crazy - from my office, you can see the smoke from its point of origin (the fire) all the way across the north of the city. The smoke is basically following the 401 all the way to Scarborough, where it will probably get mugged.
posted by antifuse at 3:19 PM on August 2, 2005


CNN just said all 200 survived. That's incredible.
posted by mathowie at 3:22 PM on August 2, 2005


Anyone have a video link to the interview of the pasengers as they step out of the wreckage? No?
It must be TOO DAMN EARLY and still too NEWSFILTERISH to have live interviews.
posted by Balisong at 3:22 PM on August 2, 2005


Antifuse, you are very funny.
posted by metaculpa at 3:23 PM on August 2, 2005


MetaIRC

Oh.. and .
posted by AspectRatio at 3:24 PM on August 2, 2005


I'm amazed that everyone survived.
posted by bshort at 3:25 PM on August 2, 2005


You know, normally I'm estatic whenever CNN acknowledges that Canada exists, but since there appear to be no fatalities isn't CNN's coverage right now a little excessive? Like the asian tsunami didn't get this much coverage when it hit (it was the second story after holiday returns).
posted by bobo123 at 3:29 PM on August 2, 2005


Incidentally, for google map goodness as to where the crash was, exactly, it's approximately in the centre of this map - old images, as the old terminal still exists on their view of the airport, but still neat to tool around on.
posted by antifuse at 3:31 PM on August 2, 2005


riff, is your family all ok in Mumbai?
Yeah, sorta, it was a terrible nightmare. Details via email.

posted by riffola at 3:35 PM on August 2, 2005


antifuse : "The smoke is basically following the 401 all the way to Scarborough, where it will probably get mugged."

Heehee ^_^
posted by Bugbread at 3:36 PM on August 2, 2005


No fatalities in Toronto airplane fire

Dateline CBC

All 309 people aboard a jet that overshot a runway and burst into flames at Pearson International Airport Tuesday survived the ordeal, according to fire officials on the scene.
posted by Dunvegan at 3:39 PM on August 2, 2005


isn't CNN's coverage right now a little excessive?

You should hear the CBC radio coverage. Interviews with people who caught a glimpse of the plane from their office window before it landed, but didn't see anything unusual. Expert testimony from someone who helpfully explains that yes, airport runways can get slippery when it rains, just like other kinds of paved surface. Live commentary from people stopped at the side of the 401 to inhale the smoke: "it smells like plastic." And so on for three hours so far I assume, though I've caught only a little of it.
posted by sfenders at 4:01 PM on August 2, 2005


Everybody who bitches about "newsfilter". and "best of the web" and "xyzfilter" and "chodafilter" need to listen to me, and me alone. The substance doesn't always come from the post... it comes from the subsequent postings and links from people in the thread who often times do know or have insight.

I know this is coming way down in the thread and a possible derail... but forgive me, I'm liquored.

godamn.. i'm smart.
posted by hatchetjack at 4:03 PM on August 2, 2005


There's still smoke coming up in that traffic camera. You'd think it would be out by now.
posted by smackfu at 4:04 PM on August 2, 2005


Everybody who bitches about "newsfilter". and "best of the web" and "xyzfilter" and "chodafilter" need to listen to me, and me alone. The substance doesn't always come from the post... it comes from the subsequent postings and links from people in the thread who often times do know or have insight.

So can we call it worthless yet?

In other news ...

Lauren Bacall has attacked Tom Cruise as 'shocking, vulgar and sick'


Now that's news!

'When you talk about a great actor, you're not talking about Tom Cruise,' she said.

Asked 'So you don't think Tom Cruise is a great actor?', she confirmed: 'No, I don't.'


ZING!
posted by mrgrimm at 4:15 PM on August 2, 2005


Well, it probably isn't worthy of a post, but the MetaFilter coverage has been a lot more balanced than the CBC Radio coverage.

Thanfully you can still get As It Happens by tuning in to CBC Winnipeg :)
posted by Chuckles at 4:42 PM on August 2, 2005


"Everybody who bitches about "newsfilter". and "best of the web" and "xyzfilter" and "chodafilter" need to listen to me, and me alone. The substance doesn't always come from the post... it comes from the subsequent postings and links from people in the thread who often times do know or have insight."


What! I don't believe it! New mouse for Macs has multiple buttons??!!!


Cool.
posted by Smedleyman at 7:03 PM on August 2, 2005


Forget WP, direct link to traffic cam
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 7:11 PM on August 2, 2005


I have a lightning detector outside my home; it is a tall stick. When struck by lightning, it bursts in to flame, thereby detecting that there is lightning in the area. Maybe the airport uses something similar?
posted by nlindstrom at 8:29 PM on August 2, 2005


Unnecessary post.
posted by clyde at 8:34 PM on August 2, 2005


But very very necessary comment.
posted by Mid at 8:45 PM on August 2, 2005


Delta 191 was mentioned above (happened 20 years ago) wind sheer certainly might have similarly played a role here ... but in a different way as my guess is they were concerned about it and landed hot and long, which (along with a wet runaway) probably contributed to the overrun.

BTW, this is the first major accident for an Airbus A340 - good news is they all got out. Boeing 777 still is a virgin ... ;-)
posted by RonZ at 9:17 PM on August 2, 2005


That flight crew should get a raise.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 11:40 PM on August 2, 2005


BTW, this is the first major accident for an Airbus A340

Yeah, a shame -- even though I prefer the 777, the A340 is a very good plane, esp. the A340-600. The biggest problem with the early marks of the A340 was that they were slower than the 777s -- a real issue when flying the pacific tracks.

It's still "no hull loss" for the A340, though I suspect they will write this one off.

Thankfully, it's no loss of life. All those saying the safety gear was stupid? There's some 250 people who would like to disagree.
posted by eriko at 12:56 AM on August 3, 2005


Our own J. Ro. has a pleasant comic blog entry about it:

http://wigu.com/overcompensating/2005/08/358.html
posted by zoogleplex at 12:16 PM on August 3, 2005


Time to update that YYZ video.

The Washington Post did an online discussion with one of the survivors of the plane that crashed in Toronto.
posted by kirkaracha at 3:30 PM on August 3, 2005


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