Only one fatality took place in a San Andres, Columbia crash that took place on Monday. The plane crashed when attempting to land. The cause of the wreck isn’t for certain yet, but is thought to be due to a lightning strike. Only one death resulted from the crash after it was all over, and the crash itself did no damage to anything other than the plane. Avoiding catastrophic damage to the runway and airport, also as the outcome of only one fatality has been attributed to skill of the pilot.
Boeing 737 fragmented on the runway
The flight from Bogota took off for San Andres in the middle of the night. As AIRES Flight 8250 approached the runway in bad weather, the plane started to shake. As the plane descended, the pilot began an emergency landing just short of the runway when it started to fragment on landing. Initially, according to 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 initially broke into two pieces at Gustavo Rojas Pinillo airport. No damage occurred save for the plane.
Only one did not survive
Following the crash, according to Bloomberg, a 65 year old passenger had a heart attack and died. Six people came out of the accident totally unscathed. The rest of passengers and crew had injuries, but not a soul is not expected for making a full recovery. At least 127 people were aboard the plane.
Testament to skill of the pilot
Professional pilots are some of the most highly skilled workers in existence. Not only do they have to navigate a very complex machine through a very precise trajectory, they also have to know precisely what to do when things go wrong. Their knowledge makes them very valuable and they work under tremendous pressure. The air travel trade has a lot of stress and responsibility involved, and numerous have viewed the Steven Slater saga unfold. The pilot of AIRES Flight 8250 is a hero.
Additional 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
