Bill Hepburn, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said the leading edge of a heavy thunderstorm hit the airport just minutes before the crash.
Yesterday's accident bears at least a superficial resemblance to the 1993 crash of a smaller A320 Airbus in Warsaw. Because the pilots had been warned of microbursts, they landed at higher than usual speed, as recommended in the flight manual. However, the slippery conditions and gentle touchdown fooled the complex computer systems on the Airbus, with the result that it delayed deployment of the thrust reversers and spoilers.
Paul Koring -- Globe and Mail
A passenger interviewed on radio this morning said that the rain was so thick they could hardly breathe.
Rain that heavy indicates a downburst and I wonder what a sudden extra 20 or so knots of airspeed in ground effect would do, especially to something a slick as an A340. To begin with, it would delay touchdown although I don't have the math to determine just how much.
Lets just be very grateful that a go-around was not attempted as I don't see how anything would be able to fly out the other side of this downburst.