Passenger airliner crash in Cuba: what we know. A passenger plane crashed in Cuba: there were about a hundred passengers on board, there are survivors The plane crashed today in Cuba
There were more than a hundred people on board
May 18. An ordinary day in the capital of hot and joyful Cuba was overshadowed by a terrible tragedy. Around noon, a passenger airliner crashed near José Marti Airport, which is located near Havana.
The Sun was one of the first to report the terrible tragedy. According to him, the plane crashed immediately after takeoff at 12:30 local time (the difference with Moscow is nine hours).
As Region Online found out, a terrible tragedy happened to. Many Russians glued themselves to their television screens and began scrolling through news feeds. This is because there could have been tourists on board this plane, including Russian ones.
Chronology of the fall
The Boeing-737-200 airliner, leased from the Mexican company Damojh by the Cubana de Aviacion air carrier, was supposed to take off from international airport Jose Marti at half past one and head to the east of Cuba, to the city of Holguin. It was domestic flight, but tourists could also fly on it.
Russian citizens could be on board crashed plane, - emphasized the Russian Embassy in Cuba.
This message alarmed the people of our country. The tragedy that occurred in Cuba could no longer pass by the Russians.
According to various sources, there were from 103 to 109 passengers and crew members on board the plane. Immediately after takeoff, the plane began to descend and fell to the ground. Plumes of smoke were visible from Havana itself. It is not surprising, because the crash site was only 30 kilometers from the Cuban capital.
It is noteworthy that the tragedy could have become even worse, because the plane almost fell on the campus. Thus, students from a Cuban school live in close proximity to the crash site.
Numerous photos and images immediately appeared on the network. The footage from the Havana-Holguin plane shows that the scattering of fragments was not very large - the reason for this was that the plane began to fall immediately after takeoff.
Emergency services arrived at the scene. Already from the initial data it was clear that people could survive the plane crash.
What happened after?
Dozens of specialists arrived at the scene of the incident almost instantly, but by that time they had reached him and local residents. The photo from the scene of the tragedy shows that a whole crowd had gathered not far from the burning plane. The police had to form a cordon.
Together with emergency services Cuban leader Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez also went to the scene of the tragedy. He was the first to report that there were many casualties as a result of the disaster. Then the Russian Embassy in Cuba began checking information about whether there were.
The first versions about the reasons for the fall immediately appeared. Previously, . Journalists found out that the airline operating the flight Havana - Holguin used old planes. Thus, the Boeing that crashed in Cuba operated for about 10 years.
At the same time, information began to emerge that survivors had been found among the wreckage of the Havana-Holguin plane that crashed in Cuba.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing people being taken away in ambulances from the crash site. Information about this was quickly confirmed.
It turned out that as a result of a plane crash. Every effort was made to save them. They were given all the necessary assistance and hospitalized, as eyewitnesses said.
One of the three survivors of the plane crash later died in hospital. At the same time, it became clear that there were at least five children among the dead. The surviving passengers are in serious condition.
Consequences
As a result, more than a hundred people died in a plane crash in Cuba, including several children. The Russian Embassy is still checking information about Russian citizens on board the crashed Havana-Holguin plane. Previously, there were no Russians on the Boeing.
However, the information about the tourists on board was confirmed - there were citizens of Italy and Germany on the plane.
Representatives of the Russian consulate expressed condolences to the families of those killed in this terrible tragedy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also addressed the Chairman of the State Council of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, and the families of the victims of the plane crash with condolences.
The head of the Russian state conveyed words of sympathy and support to the families and friends of the victims, as well as wishes for a speedy recovery to those who managed to survive this disaster, the Kremlin press service reported.
Coming soon new information about how the Havana-Holguin plane crashed in Cuba. In the meantime, people experiencing the tragedy have to be content with the grains of available information.
Igor STEBLINOV
On May 18, 2018, while a Boeing 737 passenger airliner belonging to the Cubana de Aviacion carrier was flying from Havana to Holguin, a tragic plane crash occurred. The plane crashed just a few kilometers from where it took off, killing more than a hundred people.
Chronicle of the Boeing 737 Cubana de Aviacion plane crash in Cuba
As follows from the officially presented data, the passenger airliner of the Cuban airline Cubana de Aviacion was flying from Havana to Holguin ( East Coast Cubes - approx. ed.), however, just a few seconds after takeoff, the plane began to sharply lose altitude, as a result of which it hit the ground and exploded.
In fact, the plane crashed not far from capital airport Cubes, which is clearly visible in the presented video frames, but witnesses claim that there were no visual problems (smoke, flames, etc.) with the aircraft.
Due to the fact that the crash site is located relatively close to the airport, teams of firefighters, rescuers and medical aid arrived at the scene of the plane crash relatively quickly, but even despite this fact, no one managed to survive the tragedy, although the Cuban authorities did not confirm this fact for a long time.
Preliminary versions and causes of the plane crash in Cuba on May 18, 2018
Specialists involved in the investigation of the plane crash have identified mainly three main versions of the tragedy, which, however, can be confirmed or refuted only after a thorough investigation.
Engine failure
The version about the failure of the power unit of the passenger airliner Boeing 737 of the Cubana de Aviacion company appeared almost immediately after the tragedy occurred, however, taking into account the fact that the plane was not overloaded and could easily fly with one functioning engine, it is logical to assume that either the version does not correspond to reality, or the tragedy could have been preceded by accompanying factors, for example, the failure of the second engine.
“If a passenger airliner was unable to gain the required speed, then if the engine fails, it will actually quickly lose speed and begin to fall.”, says the specialist.
On the other hand, according to preliminary data, the dispatcher of the capital's Cuban airport claims that the crew did not report technical problems on board.
Crew error
The version of crew error is almost always considered when investigating plane crashes, and the current tragedy was no exception. It is reported that the aircraft was flown by a foreign crew, which could very likely have been one of the circumstances of the tragedy, but only under certain conditions.
Considering the testimony of witnesses that the plane began to fall sharply, it is logical to assume that the actions of the pilots could have contributed to this
Poor quality fuel
One of the versions of the plane crash involving the Boeing 737 airliner in Cuba is also called the version of low-quality fuel in the tanks of the aircraft. No underlying factors pointing specifically to this circumstance were presented, but experts did not rule out that this version may also require careful study.
Victims and victims of the plane crash in Cuba
There are no official data on exactly how many passengers and crew members were on board the Boeing 737 passenger airliner that crashed on May 18, 2018. According to some sources, we are talking about 104 citizens, according to others about 107 (including crew members), but there is also information about that the plane could carry up to 113 people on board.
As a result of the plane falling from a great height and the subsequent explosion, only four citizens managed to survive, two of whom subsequently died in the hospital from their wounds and injuries.
In Cuba, they are investigating the reasons for the crash of the Boeing 737. The night before, it crashed almost immediately after takeoff from Havana airport. At this moment it is known that there were 110 people on board, only three women managed to survive, but they are in extremely serious condition. According to the latest data, there are no Russians among the victims of the plane crash.
These shots were taken in the first seconds after the tragedy. Visitors and staff at José Martí Airport look on in horror as flames and a giant column of smoke rise just a few kilometers from the runway.
“We were checking in when we heard the sound of an explosion. At that moment, the lights in the hall went out, we looked out into the street and saw clouds of black smoke. Then they told us that it was a plane that crashed,” said Brian Oranbueno.
The 39-year-old Boeing 737 that crashed was operated by Cuban national carrier Cubana de Aviación, which leased the plane from Mexico's Global Air. At noon local time, the plane took off from the capital's José Martí airport to the city of Holguin in the east of the country. Minutes later, it became known that the Boeing had crashed in the countryside near the Havana suburb of Santiago de las Vegas.
Eyewitnesses said that immediately after takeoff, the plane turned towards the airport and allegedly began to land, but crashed into a power line support. None of the residential buildings were damaged.
“He was flying low, as if he couldn’t gain altitude. Then he began to turn back. And at that moment, his wing touched the wires and immediately fell to the ground,” said the eyewitness.
According to the latest data, there were 104 passengers on board the plane, including five children, and a crew of six people. Only four managed to survive. However, one of them, a man, subsequently died in hospital. Three more women - with burns and fractures - remain in extremely serious condition.
"We are doing everything possible. Now it is difficult to say anything more specific - the injuries of the victims are very serious,” said the head physician of the hospital, Carlos Alberto Martinez Blanco.
A few hours after the disaster, it turned out that two Argentine citizens were among the dead. Before this, it was reported that the only foreigners were Mexicans - the crew of the ship.
Our embassy in Havana reported that no Russians were on this flight.
“Immediately after receiving information about the disaster, Russian diplomats went to Havana José Martí Airport. According to the latest information received from official Cuban authorities, there were no Russian citizens on board the plane,” the spokeswoman said. Consulate General Russian Federation in Cuba Nadezhda Sergieva.
Search work in the area where the Boeing crashed does not stop, despite the onset of darkness. Teams of doctors and rescuers, who, according to eyewitnesses, arrived at the scene just 12 minutes after the tragedy, continue to search for the remains of the victims of the disaster and collect the wreckage of the airliner. At the airport itself, psychologists provide assistance to relatives of the victims who lost their loved ones overnight.
At this point, the most likely cause of the accident is considered to be a technical malfunction. The Cuban authorities cannot yet report anything more specific - the “black boxes” have not yet been found.
“On behalf of the government and the party, I express my deep condolences to the families and friends of those killed in this terrible disaster. We do whatever is necessary in such situations. Doctors began identifying the remains of the victims, and an investigation into the causes of the incident began. As soon as we can find out something, we will report it,” said the Chairman of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez.
In connection with the tragedy, two days of mourning have been declared in Cuba. The leaders of dozens of countries expressed their condolences to the government and the Cuban people. President Vladimir Putin sent a telegram with words of sympathy and support to the families and friends of the victims and wishes for a speedy recovery to those who survived the disaster.
MEXICO CITY, May 19- RIA News. More than a hundred people were killed when a Boeing 737-200 crashed in Cuba on Friday shortly after the plane took off from Havana airport.
According to the Mexican company Global Air, from which Cubana de Aviacion leased the plane, there were 110 people on board, including 104 passengers and six crew members. Among the passengers of the crashed plane were five foreigners, the rest were Cubans, and the crew was from Mexico. According to the embassy, there were no Russian citizens on board. Later it became known that two Argentines were killed.
The airliner, flying from Havana to Holguin, crashed shortly after takeoff, crashing between the José Martí airport and the Havana suburb of Santiago de las Vegas, in an area of agricultural land.
There are survivors
Shortly after the crash, local media reported that there were four survivors of the plane crash. The three surviving women were taken to the intensive care unit of Havana's Calixto Garcia Hospital in serious condition; the man died on the way to the hospital. Later, Cuba TV reported the death of one of the women, but then denied this information.
The victims have multiple fractures, hematomas and burns; they are being treated by resuscitators, surgeons, neurologists, orthopedists and other specialists.
According to the Ministry of Transport of Mexico, the plane was 39 years old, it was produced in 1979, but had all necessary permissions to work.
Chairman of the State Council and Council of Ministers of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel said that an investigation into the circumstances of the crash would be conducted and expressed condolences to the families of the victims. The black boxes have not yet been found.
All terminals at Havana José Martí Airport continue to operate.
© Ruptly
Eyewitness accounts
Eyewitnesses told Cuban TV that the plane was trying to return to the airport after takeoff but crashed into power lines. Witnesses also reported that the first rescuers arrived at the scene 12 minutes after the fall.
The crash was the first for Cubana de Aviacion since 1999, according to data from the Aviation Safety Network (ASN) portal, which tracks aviation accidents.
International reaction
Vladimir Putin sent a telegram of condolences to Diaz-Canel. “The head of the Russian state conveyed words of sympathy and support to the families and friends of the victims, as well as wishes for a speedy recovery to those who managed to survive this disaster,” the telegram says.
Condolences were sent by Venezuela, Spain, Mexico, and France. Boeing also expressed its condolences to the loved ones of the passengers and crew of the crashed plane, as well as its readiness to provide the necessary technical assistance.
As reported to RIA Novosti by the press service of the State Department, the United States is studying information about the crash of the Boeing-737 plane in Cuba and finding out whether there were American citizens on board. Canada said it is working to obtain additional information and, if necessary, is ready to provide consular assistance to Canadian citizens.
The Cuban authorities declared mourning in connection with the plane crash.
