Sudan’s civil aviation authority has confirmed that at least 171 occupants survived yesterday’s Sudan Airways Airbus A310 fire at Khartoum.
Twenty-nine fatalities have been recorded by rescuers, says the CAA of Sudan, while the remaining 14 people on board are “considered as lost”. It does not clarify whether these missing people are thought to be among the dead or simply left the scene of the accident without notifying authorities.
While earlier statements suggested the aircraft had caught fire while taxiing to stand, the CAA states today that the aircraft “veered off the runway” while landing at 20:45 and “burst into flames”.
It confirms the registration of the twin-jet as ST-ATN. The Pratt & Whitney PW4000-powered aircraft, operating flight SD109, was transporting 203 passengers and 11 crew from Amman to Khartoum via Damascus.
The jet had already been “turned back once” from Khartoum, says the CAA, and diverted to Port Sudan because of poor weather; Khartoum had been experiencing thunderstorm activity and rain.
Airbus says the aircraft has been operated by Sudan Airways since September last year. It had accumulated around 52,000 flight hours and 21,000 cycles.
Five Airbus personnel are being sent to Sudan to aid the investigation, while the airframer will also provide technical assistance to the French accident inquiry agency Bureau d’Enquetes et d’Analyses.
Khartoum Airport’s runway, which was closed after the accident, has today re-opened.
Source: flightglobal.com's sister premium news site Air Transport Intelligence news
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
Source: Flight International
