Airfrance Airbus 340 crash in Toronto YYZ

[Remster 30]

A Air France A340 flight AF 358 Paris- Toronto has crashed on landing in Toronto, "bursting into flames". There was weather on the ground, reports of lightning strike on landing.

Remster

[Rebecca 0]

No word on injuries / casualties yet?

That's awful - prayers to all on board and their families.

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[jumpchikk 0]

They are supposed to have a news conference at 5:00 p.m. EST...

Very sad news

[lisamariewillbe 1]

live video stream

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/live.asp

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[Remster 30]

Eye witness says lightning hit the fuselage just after touch down, lost all power, managed to stay on runway but ran into ditch/river at the end of the runway, then started burning.

Remster

[grue 1]

...and people ask why I get out of planes before they land.

Godspeed to the passengers.

cavete terrae.

[lisamariewillbe 1]

2 explosions, and possibly a third one will happen, 291 people on board of this plane, many have been taken to area hospitals so there are survivors, pilot and co-piolet did survive

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[billvon 3,120]

>Eye witness says lightning hit the fuselage just after touch down, lost
> all power, managed to stay on runway but ran into ditch/river at the
> end of the runway, then started burning.

Note that the A340 is 100% fly by wire, so a lightning-induced computer failure (or even reset at exactly the wrong time) could cause a temporary loss of control, although the system is supposed to be hardened aganst that.

Interesting side note - aircraft are tested very extensively for lightning strikes in the air because they happen often. There were 25 in-flight lightning strikes reported to the FAA in 2000 from all US aircraft, from 747's to Cessna 172's. I'm not sure how extensively ground strike resistance is tested though.

Side note #2 - since lightning tends to come from a specific place in the sky, the slower an aircraft goes, the longer the strike will last (generally.)

[gravitational 0]

one small positive (if there is one) is that since this was the end of the flight, the fuel load would have been lighter, reducing the amount of fuel for the after fires.

------
Michael

[Remster 30]

no fatalities!

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/08/02/pearson-plane050802.html

Remster

[livendive 8]

Awesome!!
Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[jumpchikk 0]

Great news.

[waltappel 1]

Holy shit--those are some incredibly lucky people!!!

Walt

[gremlin 0]

"a spokesperson with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority said lightning was causing technical problems with the airport's lightning-detection system."

So how does that work? What is the point of having a detection system which fails when it starts to detect what it is looking for? And what is a lighting detection system - a small child and a large window?

Glad no-one was injured.

I'm drunk, you're drunk, lets go back to mine....

[Rookie120 0]

Quote

There were 25 in-flight lightning strikes reported to the FAA in 2000 from all US aircraft, from 747's to Cessna 172's.

Are these reports for lightning strikes that caused an emergency landing or strikes total. 25 seems kinda low since in the last month we have had 9 planes in the hanger with lightning strikes and I have gone on 3 road trips to rescue planes that were hit by lightning at outstations and these are just the one's when I was working. Dont know if any happened on my day off. Just wondering.

If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!