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Boeing 747 breaks in HALF during takeoff in Brussels
The Associated Press is reporting that A Kalitta Air Boeing 747 broke in half while trying to take off on Sunday. The cargo aircraft, which was carrying diplomatic baggage for the United States ambassador to Belgium, ruptured in the center of the aircraft around the main fuselage and again at the rear of the plane.
All five crew members escaped with no injuries.
There is no indication as to how or why the aircraft crashed, but speculation is buzzing around the internet. Runway 20 is one of the shortest in the Brussels airport, so it's possible that the increased strain of pulling the aircraft up at lower speed caused the airframe to rupture. It's another possibility that the cargo was overloaded to begin with and that failure was imminent anyway. Others conjecture that the cargo could have shifted during take off and caused the tail to strike the tarmac as the aircraft lifted off.
Either way, don't let this deter you from flying on a 747 any longer. A variety of factors could have caused the failure that aren't necessarily the product of the aircraft design. Once the NTSB (or Europe's version of the NTSB) gets their hands on the data we'll have a better idea of what truly happened.
Until then, take a look at this footage of the carnage.
All five crew members escaped with no injuries.
There is no indication as to how or why the aircraft crashed, but speculation is buzzing around the internet. Runway 20 is one of the shortest in the Brussels airport, so it's possible that the increased strain of pulling the aircraft up at lower speed caused the airframe to rupture. It's another possibility that the cargo was overloaded to begin with and that failure was imminent anyway. Others conjecture that the cargo could have shifted during take off and caused the tail to strike the tarmac as the aircraft lifted off.
Either way, don't let this deter you from flying on a 747 any longer. A variety of factors could have caused the failure that aren't necessarily the product of the aircraft design. Once the NTSB (or Europe's version of the NTSB) gets their hands on the data we'll have a better idea of what truly happened.
Until then, take a look at this footage of the carnage.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Claudine May 26th 2008 12:10AM
I don't think that I'll panic, but I would be a little nervous, well, more than a little nervous about taking a plane at that particular airport!
Wes May 26th 2008 3:25AM
So my dad was the flight engineer on this flight. He and the flight crew are all doing fine. What happend was the pilot and crew heard a loud explosion and desiced to abort the take off. Since the run way was so short it was impossible to stop the plane short of the end of the runway. The plain viered into an embankment causing the fuselage to crack and break in half. As far as the details go thats all he really knows. According to him the plane was not overloaded, they where about 15000 pounds under the planes weight limit. Anyway he's stuck in Brussels pending the investation.
Emma Leigh May 26th 2008 7:43AM
Glad to hear you dad is okay. It's amazing no one got hurt.
Lucas Costa May 26th 2008 10:37AM
Have you already thought what could have happened if it was a passengers' flight? It could be horrible.
But it won't take my off from any flight, principally in a Boeing 747. Although I am not sure everyone think like me and I'll do the same.
And, Wes have you already sent it to a newspaper? :D
Darren Cronian May 26th 2008 5:29PM
"Either way, don't let this deter you from flying on a 747 any longer."
Nice try but couldn't you have been a little more tactful considering the story.
Showing a video and a commentary of what happen is really going to help passengers deal with the fear of flying.
Wes May 26th 2008 6:38PM
Thank you for your consideration Emma! After a day of thinking about this it just hit me how lucky they really where. They where only a few feet from running into a metro rail tracks thats why the captan turned the plane and viered off the to the side. If they would of hit that it could of been catasrophic the plane was full of fuel, with all those electrical cables hovering over the tracks it could of been much worse.