Oslanburg Udsende Tjeneste

[Blacaria]

Luft Wurberg SL470 crashes at Docrun Fenru International

Edition: 37
17 Vintyr 1587
Written by Dimitra Krum


Picture of the burning fuselage taken by evacuated passengers

Herlev, Oslanburg: An Luft Wurberg with 321 people on board crash landed at Ducron Fenru International Airport last night, skidding along a runway and erupting into an intense fire — but the airline said all on board survived. An engine was torn from the right wing of the plane as it scraped to a halt, forcing passengers and crew to evacuate before the aircraft was gutted by fire.

Flights were halted at the airport as black smoke billowed from the wreckage. Eyewitness Jeremy Oswald, a 23-year-old student, told OUT that he saw a "huge, huge fire" and then "two explosions" while heading to his gate for a flight to Lienes, Florinthus. "Everything took about 30 to 35 minutes," he added. "It was so scary."

Despite the scale of the fire and the speed at which it engulfed the jet, the evacuation of 303 passengers and 18 crew through inflatable slides appeared to have been successful.

The airline’s CEO, Michael Laudrup , said in a recorded message that “all passengers and crew are accounted for and safe.”

“We do not have all the details yet,” he said. “Thankfully, there were no fatalities. Our first priority is the care and well-being of our passengers and our crew, and to answer queries from their families and friends." Flights at the airport — the home hub of Luft Wurberg — were expected to resume at about 6:30 p.m. local time but with substantial delays to thousands of passengers.

Flight LW045 from Tokasa, Kazemura to Herlev landed at about 2:15 p.m. local time . Tracking websites identified the jet as a Scholden Luftvaerks SL470-30. Air traffic control recordings showed its pilots made a normal approach to runway 07L and no emergency was declared prior to landing.

An aviation industry source with knowledge of the accident told OUT it may have been caused by a last-second attempt to abort the landing because of wind shear, a sudden change in wind speed and direction that can make it too dangerous to land.

The gear was retracted in order to climb away for a second attempt at landing but the aircraft instead sank to the runway, the source said.

"The fire began to spread rapidly and by the time the fire engines got there the entire top half of the plane was on fire," said another eyewitness. He added that flames "seemed to be coming from the rear or back of the plane," which the airline confirmed was carrying 321 people.

He also said the blaze was "under control within 15 to 20 minutes." He saw at least three fire engines. "The entire top half of the plane is gone," he said. The eye witness who was making a connection while travelling from Balfonheim, Adwest to the Singanese city of Kanjong, said fire trucks did not reach the burning craft for "five or six minutes."

He added: "I would have thought in an airport situation the trucks would have been there in a minute … maybe it just took time.”