Girl With a Purpose (GWAP)

Update re American Airlines' Plane Crash in Kingston - December 28,2009

Please read our previous posts re the American Airlines' plane crash for a background to this post.

The nose and tail of the crashed American Airlines' plane have been removed to a safe location and are in the custody of the National Transportation Safety Board (USA).

[Technical staff from American Airlines, Boeing, the National Transport Authority (Jamaica), the Civil Aviation Authority (Jamaica), the National Transportation Safety Board (USA) are continuing investigations into the American Airlines crash that occurred Tuesday night (December 22,2009), at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica].

The Civil Aviation Authority will close Port Royal Road between 10:00 p.m. tonight and 5:00 a.m. tomorrow, in order to remove the mid-section (including the wings) of the aircraft.

[The plane landed, with it's tail being a few metres away from the road. Please see inset photo to see the plane's tail location in relation to Port Royal Road (where the white police vehicles are parked). The mid-section will be transported on large flat-bed trucks to the location of the nose and tail].

In the meantime, a Jamaican lawyer is questioning the US $5,000 compensation package being offered to the passengers of crashed American Airlines Flight 331.

He says that under International Airline Accident Law, compensation from a plane crash is limitless, and is urging passengers not to sign any documents from American Airlines, requesting that they settle for the US $5,000.

Please enter "american airlines crash compensation" (without quotes) in the Google Search Window, below, to find American Airlines' and other airlines' compensation amounts to crash victims.

Continuing...

Preliminary results from the flight data recorder and voice recorder of the crashed plane, should be known this week.

(I would like to thank rastarazi for the use of his Flickr inset photo above, entitled, "American Airline Plane Crash Lands in Kingston, Jamaica").

Gillian

Sources Include

1) Power 106 FM News at 12:00 p.m., December 29, 2009

2) Various news sources, December 26-28, 2009

Update re American Airlines' Plane Crash in Kingston

Just an update re the American Airlines' Flight 331 Plane Crash in Kingston:

Investigations continue.

100 injured passengers were taken to hospital, treated and released. Only one (1) passenger is still hospitalized following surgery to mend a broken nose.

We should be know by next week, preliminary findings as to the cause of the crash.

American Airlines is compensating passengers to the tune of US $5,000 each, for the inconvenience that passengers have suffered, due to them not having their luggage.

American Airlines handlers and Norman Manley International airport officials are in the process of collecting, tallying and weighing all hand and carry-on luggage...

They are trying to ascertain whether or not overweight hand and carry-on luggage could have contributed to the plane crash.

They will start the collection and tallying of all other luggage, located in the belly of the plane, as soon as they are given the go-ahead to do so.

Please see an important Press Release from American Airlines, regarding the plane crash, here.

(I would like to thank rastariza for the use of his Flickr photo of the crashed American Airlines plane. The inset photo shows where the airplane split in two places - as it's supposed to, in a crash).

Gillian

Sources Include

Television Jamaica, Evening News at 7:00 p.m., December 24,2009

Seasons Greetings to You All!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Kwanzaa to all our GWAP Friends, sponsors and advertisers!

Thanks ever so much for your support and patronage throughout 2009...

May the joys of the Season be yours and may you have a New Year of fulfilled dreams and realized goals!

(I would like to thank irbis, for the use of her Flickr photo above, entitled, "Season's Greetings").

Sincerely,

Gillian Campbell,

Editor, Owner - Girl With a Purpose (GWAP) Blog

American Airlines Plane Crash in Kingston, Under Investigation

Please see our previous post, here, for a background to this post.

Technical staff from American Airlines, Boeing, the National Transport Authority (Jamaica), the Civil Aviation Authority (Jamaica), the National Transportation Safety Board (USA) have begun investigations into the American Airlines crash that occurred last night at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica.

The voice data recorder (black box) should have been sent overseas, this afternoon, for investigators to listen to events leading up to the crash and following the crash.

The area surrounding the crash has been cordoned off, with police and soldiers keeping diligent watch to ensure that the crash site is not tampered with.

Only aircraft that are smaller than 737 aircraft are being allowed to land at the  Norman Manley International airport, due to the fact that the tail of the crashed American Airlines plane, will block the flight path of larger planes..

...As such, larger aircraft (like those belonging to Virgin Airlines and British Airways) are being diverted to the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

The entire aircraft will be taken to the USA (at a date to be announced) for further investigation.

Please see pictures, below, of the crashed plane, from rastariza on Flickr.com:

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This picture shows the detached right engine of the airplane. 

This picture shows one of the doors, open, through which some passengers escaped the wreckage. 

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In response to concerns raised by some passengers re the tardiness of Jamaican emergency response crew in responding to the crash, Jamaican Minister of Transportation and Works, Mr. Mike Henry says that emergency crews responded within the required 3 of 4 minutes, outside the perimeter fence of airport. (International best practices dictate a response time of minutes outside the perimeter fence of the airport).

Just an update to what we previously reported, 148 passengers including 6 crew members were on flight AA331.

92 persons were hurt, 7 seriously hurt, with a majority of injured passengers sent to two (2) major hospitals in Kingston: the Kingston Public Hospital and the University Hospital of the West Indies...6 or 7 each were sent to the Medical Associates Hospital and the Andrews Memorial Hospital.

Most passengers have since been treated and released. Minister of Information, Daryl Vaz, reported that their injuries included lacerations, blunt trauma and broken bones.

He also announced that a hot-line has been set up in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for relatives, friends and Consulates who need updated information on passengers on the airplane.

These are:

876-501-9522

876-836-5900.

American Airlines staff will be among those manning the hot-line.

(I would like to thank rastariza for the use of his Flickr photos of the crashed American Airlines plane. The inset photo shows where the airplane split in two places - as it's supposed to, in a crash).

Gillian

Sources Include

1) CVM Television's News Programme, "Evening Watch", at 8:00 p.m., December 23,2009

2) Television Jamaica's Evening News at 7:00 p.m., December 23,2009

3) Nationwide Radio's Evening Programme, "Cover Story", at 5:30 p.m.,December 23,2009

4) Power 106 FM's News at  5:00 p.m., December 23,2009