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American Airlines Plane Overshoots Kingston Runway, Lands On Beach With Injuries

Where: Norman Manley International Airport, Kingston, Jamaica
December 23, 2009 at 9:04 AM | by | Comment (1)

A planeful of people headed down to Kingston, Jamaica for the holidays got the shock of their lives last night when their flight, American Airlines 331 from Miami, overshot the runway during a horrible rainstorm. The plane bounced on the runway, crashed through the fence at the end of the tarmac, skidded across the roadway and lost some landing gear and at least one of its engines before coming to rest on the beach, just short of the ocean.

All 154 passengers and crew survived, but some 91 injuries have been reported, including broken bones and more minor scratches. Since this was technically a crash, the airport closed and other Kingston-bound flights were diverted to other Jamaica airports.

This incident, and the general scary island-y nature of Kingston's Norman Manley airport and its one sea-bordered runway adds it to our ever-growing list of the World's Most Dangerous Airports. To check out a picture of the American Airlines accident, head here.

Related Stories:
· American Airlines Flight Narrowly Avoids Sea on Landing In Jamaica; Injuries Reported [NPR]
· Light injuries as plane overshoots runway [National Post]
· Travel Accidents [Jaunted]

[Image: Google Maps]

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Norman Manley International Airport

I think your list of so called most dangerous airports in the world is seriously flawed. For example, how many times in the aviation history of Jamaica have you heard of a plane crashing at the Norman Manley International Airport? From my information, only once, the same American Airlines flight 331, and from what I heard it was pilot error. Nothing to do with the runway, even if there was a walled barrier, the plane would have still crashed into it, maybe with even more damage to passengers. At least the plane was able to stop without slamming into anything.

By contrast, runway mishaps in the United States have risen 37% since 1995.

Forbes listed North Las Vegas as the most dangerous airport in the United States followed by Charlotte Douglas International, Long Beach (California), Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Los Angeles International, Boston-Logan International, Newark International, Chicago O'Hare, Philadelphia International, Chicago Midway International, Daytona Beach, and Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International. According to the report, aviation accidents typically occur on take offs and landing with only a handful occurring while in flight.

So my question to you is: Why aren't these airports on your list?

unimatrix2 on February 16, 2011 at 8:21 PM #Permalink

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