Photos: Small Cessna Aircraft Crashes At Airport

April 30, 2018

Emergency personnel rushed to the airport after a small aircraft crashed while landing this evening [April 30], resulting in the pilot sustaining what officials said were “non life threatening injuries” and the airfield being temporarily closed down before re-opening at around 9.00pm.

Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Lieutenant Russann Francis said, “At 5:33pm today, Monday, April 30, 2018 our Aircraft Operations Division received a call from the tower crash alarm system of the L. F. Wade International Airport.

Photo slideshow:

“BFRS responded with 3 appliances, 1 rescue vehicle and a command appliance. We applied a foam blanket to suppress any fuel leakage prior to assisting with the extrication of the pilot from the aircraft.

“The pilot, who was assessed by BFRS Emergency Medical Technicians, was found to have sustained non-life threatening injuries and has been handed over to KEMH for transport.”

Speaking at the scene earlier, Divisional Officer Mark Taylor from the Bermuda Fire & Rescue Service said, “We received a call of an aircraft that had crashed short of our runway at LF Wade International Airport runway 30.

BFRS provide information at the scene:

“Our Airport Operations Division, along with Clearwater Resources, responded and were on scene quite quickly. They found one aircraft with one person still on board – it was a pilot, but no passengers.

“Fire personnel applied what’s called a foam blanket to mitigate any fire hazard,” he added.

“Our personnel extricated that pilot through forcible entry through the right-side door of the main cabin of the aircraft, took the pilot off the aircraft, and she’s now being transported to King Edward Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.”

Aircraft being towed off the runway at around 8.20pm:

“This was a no-notice aircraft emergency, there was a routine flight that was in-bound back to Bermuda, she was doing a regular routine flight around the island and was due to land just after 5.30pm this evening and she landed just short of runway 30.

“At this stage, it’s pretty early to speculate as to what caused it. We do have people from the Bermuda Department of Civil Aviation on their way and we will assist them with the investigation.

Witness describes what he saw as aircraft crashed:

At around 9.15pm this evening, Skyport President Aaron Adderley said, “The LF Wade International Airport has reopened after a private airplane crashed earlier this evening.

“A local Cessna aircraft was approaching the runway when the pilot had difficulty and landed short at 5:33pm.

“The pilot walked from the aircraft unassisted, but was taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital with non life threatening injuries. There were no passengers onboard the aircraft.

“As a result of the crash, the runway shut down to allow for the aircraft to be removed. It was towed away from the scene by airport personal at 8:20pm.

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“American Airlines from Miami is enroute after being delayed due to the crash. British Airways from London Gatwick was diverted to New York’s JFK Airport and is now scheduled to arrive Tuesday afternoon before departing for its return flight to Gatwick early Tuesday evening.

“The American Airlines and JetBlue flights from JFK are expected to arrive later tonight. Please visit www.bermudaairport.com for the latest flight information.

“Skyport, Bermuda Fire & Rescue Service, Bermuda Airport Authority and Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority personnel were on the scene to respond to the incident and manage the cleanup.”

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