Whose plane crashed in Cuba. In Cuba, more than a hundred people died in a plane crash. Victims and victims of the plane crash in Cuba
Sergey Orlov, Vladimir Smirnov
A Boeing 737-200 passenger plane of the Cuban airline Cubana de Aviacion, performing a domestic flight from Havana to the province of Holguin, crashed during takeoff. There were more than 100 people on board the aircraft. It is reported that the airliner was leased from the Mexican airline Damojh and was flown by a foreign crew. The Chairman of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel, arrived at the scene of the disaster and announced a large number of victims of the tragedy. At the same time, there is no official information on the number of dead and wounded.
- Adalberto Roque
On Friday, May 18, a Boeing 737 plane of the Cuban airline Cubana de Aviacion crashed during takeoff at Havana airport. The plane crashed a few minutes after taking off from international airport Havana named after Jose Marti. Cuban authorities have already confirmed the crash.
“At 12:08 p.m., a Boeing 737-200, leased by Cubana de Aviacion, with a foreign crew and 104 passengers on board, flying from Havana to Holguin on flight DMJ 0972, fell to the ground at the moment of takeoff,” the official press organ of the Central Committee reported. Communist Party of Cuba - newspaper Granma.
It is noted that the plane crashed between José Martí Airport and populated area Santiago de las Vegas. Emergency services are at the scene.
The Cubanet portal clarifies that the crashed plane belonged to the Mexican airline Damojh.
There are no official data on the number of victims of the disaster yet. Media reported that more than a hundred people were on board the aircraft. Thus, according to the Infobae website, there were 104 people on board the crashed Cuban Boeing. The publication Cibercuba, citing Gabriel Silva, a journalist for the Cuban radio Radio Rebelde, writes that there were 107 people on board, not counting the crew members, RIA Novosti notes.
Before official confirmation was received that the Boeing 737's destination was an airport in the Cuban province of Holguin in the east of the island, information appeared that the plane was operating an international flight. At the same time, CNN reported that Boeing could be heading to Guyana.
The Chairman of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel, arrived at the crash site. Even before arriving at the scene, the head of Cuba announced a “large number” of victims of the disaster at Havana airport.
“There was an unfortunate air incident. The news is not encouraging, the number of victims is probably high,” AFP quotes Díaz-Canel.
At the same time, witnesses to the Boeing 737 crash reported survivors who were transported in ambulances, The Associated Press reports.
It is not yet known whether there are foreigners among the dead. This information is clarified by the emergency services of the Republic of Cuba, as well as consular departments. Thus, the secretary of the Russian Embassy in Cuba, Nadezhda Sergieva, said that the diplomatic mission is in constant contact with the country’s authorities to find out whether there were Russians on board the crashed airliner.
“There are no details yet. Diplomats are in constant contact with the Cuban competent authorities, finding out the circumstances of the incident - whether there were Russian citizens on board,” RIA Novosti quotes her as saying.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent condolences to the Cuban leader in connection with the plane crash at Havana airport. The Kremlin press service reported this.
“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 message says.
Cuban authorities clarified that the incident did not lead to disruption of the Havana José Martí Airport. According to the head of the Corporation civil aviation Cuba Roberto Pena Sampera, the airport continues to operate.
In turn, representatives of Boeing reported that they are monitoring the situation in connection with the plane crash in Cuba.
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 near the capital airport of Cuba, which is clearly visible in the video footage presented, but witnesses claim that there were no visual problems (smoke, flames, etc.) with the aircraft.
Due to the fact that the crash site is relatively close to the airport, a brigade of firefighters, rescuers and medical care 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 Boeing 737 passenger airliner 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 at the capital's Cuban airport claims that the crew did not report any 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.
Broadcast
From the beginning From the end
Don't update Update
At this point, Gazeta.Ru ends its online presence, but, of course, continues to monitor developments in Havana. Stay with us!
Russian President Vladimir Putin has already expressed his condolences in connection with the plane crash in Havana. He sent a telegram to the Chairman of the State Council and Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, the Kremlin press service reported. “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. Let us remind you that only two managed to survive.
The Boeing 737 is the most popular passenger aircraft in the history of the passenger aircraft industry. In March of this year, the ten-thousandth aircraft of this manufacturer was put into operation. The model has been produced since 1967. On average, there are an average of 1,200 aircraft in the air at any given time and one Boeing 737 takes off and lands every five seconds around the world.
According to updated data, the plane crashed into agricultural fields between the José Martí airport and the Havana suburb of Santiago de las Vegas.
One of the survivors of a passenger Boeing crash in Cuba died of burns in a Havana hospital, Reuters reports, citing a hospital representative. Two other survivors are in serious condition.
The city of Holguin, where the plane was heading, is located near the famous beach resorts, the largest of which is Guardalavaca. Holguin is the fourth largest city in Cuba. The toponym has nothing to do with the popular Russian name: the city and the province are named after the discoverer of this part of the island, the Spanish captain Garcia Holguin.
The plane was leased by Cubana de Aviación to the carrier Global, writes the Cuban newspaper Granma. There were a total of 105 people on board, including passengers and crew. There were six children among the passengers, two of them under two years old.
The Boeing 737 that crashed in Cuba was in operation for 26 years. Over the years he has flown thousands of miles. Information about the technical condition of the aircraft in last years and directly on the day of the crash on this moment No.
Eyewitnesses to the plane crash share details of the incident. “A second and we saw a large fireball, and then clouds of smoke spreading tens of meters above the crashed plane. The plane crashed so close to the airport that everything was visible from the windows,” said a local resident.
The preliminary version of the crash of a passenger Boeing 737 in Cuba is considered to be a technical malfunction, local media report.
Three survivors of the plane crash were hospitalized in critical condition. This was reported by AFP with reference to state media.
The Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) called it unlikely that there could have been Russians on board the plane that crashed in Cuba.
“Large tour operators do not take tourists from Havana to Holguin, although there are niche companies. The likelihood that there could be Russians on board the plane is very low,” a representative of the association told Interfax.
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 the necessary permits to operate.
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 Company also expressed 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 RIA Novosti was told in the press service of the State Department, the United States is studying information about the crash of the Boeing-737 plane in Cuba and is finding out whether there were American citizens on board. Canada said it is working to obtain additional information and stands ready to provide consular assistance to Canadian citizens if necessary.
The Cuban authorities declared mourning in connection with the plane crash.