Cargo Plane Crashes in Eastern Canada
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: October 14, 2004
Filed at 6:12 a.m. ET
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) -- A large cargo jet with seven crew members on board crashed into a rock quarry as it took off from Halifax on Thursday. The fate of the crew was not known.
The Boeing 747, owned by MK Airlines, was loaded with tractors and seafood and crashed at the end of the runway at Halifax International Airport on Canada's east coast, said police Const. Joe Taplin.
``The RCMP and emergency firefighters are on site,'' said airport spokesman Pat Chapman.
Witness Peter Lewis was dropping off his wife at the airport and saw two explosions.
``As we were approaching we saw what I thought was heat lighting 'cause I told everyone in the car that we've got heat lightning in the sky,'' he told radio station CJCH.
``That was only a quick one followed by a second one that was bigger. And then we seen a very bright orange light, and I mean bright. It took up the whole sky.''
Chapman and Taplin said seven crew members were on the aircraft but it was not known whether they survived.
Cab drivers taking passengers to the airport reported that they had been turned back.
``All the information that we can get is the airport is closed for the day,'' said cab company owner Angus McGillivary. ``We got a cargo plane down that's taken down the power at the airport.''
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Halifax airport slowly reopening after deadly jet crash
Seven crewman feared dead
Canadian Press
Thursday, October 14, 2004
A large cargo jet with seven crew members on board crashed into a rock quarry at the end of a runway at Halifax International Airport Thursday.
The Boeing 747 owned by British-based MK Airlines and loaded with tractors and seafood was taking off when it crashed into the quarry, said Const. Joe Taplin of the RCMP.
Officials with MK Airlines fear none of the seven crew may have survived the crash.
MK spokesman Steve Anderson told CBC Newsworld Thursday morning that there has been no history of trouble with the aircraft.
He says the only other crash the company has had to deal with was in Nigeria three years ago and that was under "completely different circumstances."
The airport which was closed for a few hours is slowly being reopened.
It\'s not clear when it will return to a full flight schedule.
Some reports suggest the jet\'s tail hit the runway during takeoff sending up a shower of sparks.
Witness Peter Lewis was dropping off his wife at the airport and saw two explosions that resembled heat lightning.
"As we were approaching we saw what I thought was heat lighting \'cause I told everyone in the car that we\'ve got heat lightning in the sky," he told radio station CJCH.
"That was only a quick one followed by a second one that was bigger. And then we seen a very bright orange light and I mean bright. It took up the whole sky."
"RCMP and emergency firefighters are on site," said airport spokesman Pat Chapman. "The airport is closed."
An official at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Science Centre said they were put on Code Orange, meaning they had to prepare for mass casualties. However, the Code Orange was later called off and no casualties were brought to the hospital.
The airport is located in a remote area outside city limits.
Cab drivers taking passengers to the airport reported that they had been turned back.
"All the information that we can get is the airport is closed for the day," said cab company owner Angus McGillivary. "We got a cargo plane down that\'s taken down the power at the airport."
He said his drivers could not see anything except for a darkened airport.
"It\'s completely black," said McGillivary. "There\'s no runway lights. There\'s no tower lights."
http://www.canada.com/maritimes/news...2-118037ae0554