TACA International Airlines Airbus A320-233 plane crash
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Updated on
The Airbus A320 belonging to TACA International Airlines was operating a scheduled flight between San Salvador (El Salvador) and Miami (United States), with a stop at Tegucigalpa (Honduras). The aircraft departed San Salvador with 124 passengers and crew members onboard and landed on runway 02 at Tegucigalpa Airport. But the aircraft was unable to stop on the runway and ended up in a ditch after crossing a road. 3 people onboard were killed (including one pilot and two passengers), and 2 other people were killed on the ground when the aircraft struck their car.
The cloud ceiling was very low at the time of the accident and visibility was reduced. A first approach to Tegucigalpa Airport ended in a go-around. During the second approach, the pilot managed to land the aircraft, but the plane reportedly touched down too far along the runway and no longer had enough distance to stop. The aircraft violently overran the runway before ending up in a 20-meter-deep ditch. The Airbus A320 broke into three sections, but no fire broke out despite a large amount of fuel leaking from the aircraft. Rescue teams found two cars crushed beneath the aircraft.
Runway 02/20 at Tegucigalpa Airport is 1,863 meters long and 45 meters wide. The runway surface is asphalt. Since the airport is located at an altitude of 1,000 meters, aircraft takeoff and landing performance is lower than at sea level. In addition, the mountains surrounding the area make approaches particularly difficult. At the time of the accident, the runway was wet.