Hard Landing
On Sept. 26, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51 operated by Aeropostal landed at Puerto
Ordaz, Venezuela, with enough force to crack both engine pylons at the airframe,
leaving them dangling at the rear fuselage sides. None of the five crew and 125
passengers were seriously injured and all were evacuated onto the runway after
the aircraft was stopped. The jet, registered YV136T, is more than 35 years old.
The flight, VH 342, according to the Aviation Safety Network, had operated from
Caracas and landed at Puerto Ordaz in a manner that has been described as "very
hard."
A passenger told El Nacional that the impact with the runway had been hard and that afterward there was a slight burning smell in the aircraft. Passengers were reassured by the crew and aided with evacuation. The aircraft was later towed from the runway. It was a regularly scheduled domestic flight. No local weather reports were immediately available. According to El Universal of Caracas, the investigation is being initiated by the JIAAC, the civil aviation accident investigation agency of Argentina. The incident aircraft was fitted with Pratt & Whitney JT-8D-17A (HK3) engines. It was first operated commercially by Finnair from October of 1976 through March of 1984 and has since served with Alisarda, Linea Aeropostal Venezolana, and Aeropostal.
A passenger told El Nacional that the impact with the runway had been hard and that afterward there was a slight burning smell in the aircraft. Passengers were reassured by the crew and aided with evacuation. The aircraft was later towed from the runway. It was a regularly scheduled domestic flight. No local weather reports were immediately available. According to El Universal of Caracas, the investigation is being initiated by the JIAAC, the civil aviation accident investigation agency of Argentina. The incident aircraft was fitted with Pratt & Whitney JT-8D-17A (HK3) engines. It was first operated commercially by Finnair from October of 1976 through March of 1984 and has since served with Alisarda, Linea Aeropostal Venezolana, and Aeropostal.
We are not sure of the author, but this was sent to us
via an honorable.