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Old 10th Jul 2008, 04:42
  #318 (permalink)  
RWA
 
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And now THIS story says that Toncontin has re-opened to 'commercial jets':-

"The Honduran capital's Toncontin International Airport reopened to commercial jets on Saturday, six weeks after an airliner overshot the runway — killing five and injuring 68.

"The airport was closed after a Grupo Taca jet carrying 124 people ran off the runway and slammed into a busy street on May 30. Among the dead were two people on the ground. The injured included seven Americans, two Canadians and four Europeans.

"After the crash, the airport only allowed planes carrying 42 people or less because of safety concerns. Larger flights were rerouted to San Pedro Sula, 112 miles north of the capital, Tegucigalpa.

"American and Continental Airlines, Copa of Panama and El Salvador's Taca said they would start sending flights to the capital sometime next week, once they reprogram their routes."

Honduran airport reopens to jets 6 weeks after plane overshoots runway - International Herald Tribune

Begins to look like an unscrupulous public relations approach that I've occasionally seen used in some fields, but not previously in connection with fatal aircraft accidents:-

1. At first, say nothing.

2. Then leak a small amount of information (in this case the edited transcript) pointing to a single cause (in this case 'pilot error').

3. Then say nothing more (except denying that you said anything at all) for a good long time. Thus ensuring that, by the time the investigation report finally comes out, it'll be 'old news,' and most people will say, "Oh yes, Toncontin - wasn't that the crash where the pilot used the wrong runway or something?"
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