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.
One of the first to terrible tragedy The Sun reported. 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 a 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 local residents had also arrived. 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 the 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
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 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 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.
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. In the same time official information There is no word yet 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 minutes after taking off from Havana's José Martí International Airport. 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 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 (the east coast of Cuba - editor's note), however, just a few seconds after takeoff, the plane began to sharply lose altitude, as a result which 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 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 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.
Declared official mourning in the country for the next two days due to the plane crash that occurred on the afternoon of May 18 in Havana. The Boeing 737-200 crashed shortly after takeoff from José Martí International Airport around noon on Friday. There were 104 passengers and six crew members on board the plane. According to the flight engineer, the cause of the plane crash could have been a technical failure.
Cuba's Council of State declared official mourning in the country for the next two days due to a plane crash that occurred on the afternoon of May 18 in Havana. On Friday around noon, a Boeing 737-200 plane crashed immediately after takeoff from José Martí International Airport, FAN reports.
There were 104 passengers and six crew members on board the plane (110 people in total). Flight DMJ 0972 was heading from Havana to the province of Holguin, Cuba Debate reports.
According to Cuban media, the plane was leased by Cubana de Aviación from the Mexican airline Damojh and was piloted by a foreign crew. It is known that one of the women who survived the crash died in hospital. The other two victims are in serious condition in the intensive care unit.
Witnesses said the plane turned around to return to the airport before crashing and crashed into power lines.
As noted, the first rescuers arrived at the scene 12 minutes after the fall. The first images from the crash site of a passenger airliner have appeared on the Internet. The video captures the first images after the disaster. The footage shows a column of black smoke rising from the crash site near the runway at Havana airport.
There were no Russian citizens on board the plane that crashed near Havana, NSN reports with reference to the Russian Embassy in Cuba. It is known that among the dead were two Argentine citizens.
“The Ministry regrets to announce that two Argentine citizens died today in Havana in a commercial plane crash. passenger plane crashed on takeoff from the airport,” the country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The flight engineer who served the flight, which took off several minutes earlier than the plane that crashed on Friday near Havana, believes that the cause of the plane crash could have been a technical failure, RIA Novosti reports.
“Today (Friday), at about 11 am, we, members of the two crews, met in the service area of the terminal (Havana airport) to have lunch and exchange a few words before the flight.
We will not meet again like this - apparently due to a technical failure that occurred in the aircraft,” the specialist said.
“I know you must be in a lot of pain. Imagine the pain I feel, a flight engineer with 17 years of experience, a colleague and friend of the crew members of the (crash) Boeing 737-200. 13 minutes before his fall, our crew, operating another domestic flight of Cubana Airlines, flew to the province of Santiago de Cuba. We communicated with them via radio while taxiing to the runway...” explained the flight engineer.
