Air Transport

All occupants of an Iberia Airbus A340-600 have apparently escaped injury after the aircraft was badly damaged when it skidded off the runway while landing at Ecuador’s Quito International Airport on 9th Nov.

Images from the scene confirm the aircraft bears the name Miguel de Unamuno, identifying it as EC-JOH. The aircraft is just 18 months old and Flight’s ACAS database lists it as being owned by the carrier.

Both left-hand Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines were dislodged from their pylon mounts in the accident. Evacuation slides were deployed; the aircraft is said to have been transporting 333 occupants, but no injuries are reported.

Oneworld alliance partner Iberia operates daily between Madrid and Quito; its weekday service, IB6463, is scheduled to arrive at 17:20. The accident reportedly occurred at about 17:15.

Weather data from Quito Airport at 17:00 yesterday showed rain in the vicinity. Quito has a single runway, designated 17/35, which is 3,120m (10,240ft) long.