Montpellier airport is closed indefinitely after a cargo plane skidded off the runway during landing overnight without causing any injuries, Hérault prefecture said Saturday. “As a safety measure and while waiting for a specialized company to transport the aircraft, commercial and freightcan no longer land in Montpellier indefinitely, the prefecture said in a statement. “The three people on the plane are unharmed. They were extricated and brought to safety thanks to the quick intervention of emergency services.“, we said from the same source.
It was 02:50 a.m. when the Aéropostale plane, a Boeing 737, missed its landing at Montpellier airport and ended up in the Maugiou pond at the end of the runway. The nose of the aircraft is currently underwater.
“Until this plane is off the runway and the investigation is complete, we will not reopen the airport. After removing the device, the track will also be thoroughly diagnosed“, the airport services noted.
The movement of 42 planes, that is, 21 commercial flights, was planned for this Saturday. On average, this coastal airport handles up to 197,000 passengers per month during the peak of the summer season.
Flight cancellations or transfers to nearby airports are the responsibility of the airlines, Montpellier airport said, without giving further details on the decisions taken.
An investigation is underway
60 firefighters from the Hero Departmental Fire and Rescue Service, including water rescue specialists, were sent to the scene along with SAMU, the Air Transport Gendarmerie Brigade and airport teams.
The investigation has been entrusted to the BEA, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Safety Investigation and Analysis, which must work to understand the causes of this accident, which occurred on this aircraft chartered by La Poste. Every night this flight landed at 2:45am carrying the mail.
“Four NAS investigators went to the scene“back”opening a security investigation“The BEA tweeted on Saturday that the device was being operated by the company.”Western Atlantic“.
The airport of Montpellier, which is located on the coast, is not known for its danger, and this accident is very exceptional.
Source: Le Figaro
