Keith Gosse/The Telegram
Ilyushin airliner at St. John's airport
Keith Gosse/The Telegram
Ilyushin airliner at St. John's airport
Aircraft overshot a runway at the St. John's International Airport Monday. (CBC)
Two runways are closed at St. John's International Airport after an Ilyushin 76 cargo plane from Prestwick, Scotland overshot the airport's primary runway 11/29.
The incident occurred around 4:20 p.m. The airport authority said it activated its emergency plan and its "well-trained and highly skilled emergency response team" is responding to the incident along with St. John’s Regional Fire Department, Eastern Health and the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. The aircraft was carrying nine crew members but none required medical attention.
Two runways were closed to complete initial inspections and assessments. It's anticipated that the secondary runway will be open in about one hour for regular operations. Updates will be provided as information becomes available.
Passengers are advised to check with their airlines on the status of their flight prior to coming to the Airport.
According to the tail number on the aircraft, it's owned by Volga-Dnepr Airlines which announced in June that it added a fifth new IL-76TD-90VD cargo aircraft to its fleet.
The modernised 50 tonne-capacity freighter performed its first commercial flight in mid-June.
The plane was produced at the Chkalov Aviation Factory in Tashkent under the terms of a contract signed by OAK-Transport Aircraft and Volga-Dnepr Leasing during the Moscow Air Show in 2007.
http://www.thetelegram.com
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/VDA4118/history/20120813/1358Z/EGPK/CYYT
ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Emergency crews were called to the airport in St. John's, N.L., on Monday after a cargo plane overshot the runway.
The St. John's International Airport Authority said there were nine people aboard the aircraft at the time, but there were no injuries.
It said the Ilyushin 76 was arriving from Prestwick, England, when it overshot the airport's main, 2,590-metre runway around 4:20 p.m.
Marie Manning, a spokeswoman for the authority, said it was unclear what caused the incident. She said visibility at the time was good, though it was overcast and cloudy with light winds.
"Anything at this point would be speculation," she said in an interview Monday.
"Our focus right now is on responding to the emergency situation and making sure that everyone is OK and returning to regular operations."
She said the Transportation Safety Board had been contacted.
The runway was expected to remain closed until about 9 p.m. Tuesday while officials investigate any potential damage.
"We do have our emergency response team out there and they are working with the crew of the aircraft, just assessing what damage has been done to the infrastructure of the runway and the lighting system," said Manning.
"From what they have assessed to this point, it's not too severe."
The airport's secondary runway was temporarily closed, but reopened about an hour after the incident. Manning said all flights were on schedule.
Manning said the aircraft was operating on behalf of an oil and gas company on the island. She could not say what it was carrying, but said there were no dangerous goods on board.
http://www.theprovince.com
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