Aviation
Commercial /
Americas
tragic accident
After collision with fire truck, LATAM pilots are arrested
Airbus A320neo
CC BY-SA 2.0, via wikimedia commons
Rafael Ramos
11/21/2022
The pilots who operated flight LA2213 with the LATAM Airbus A320neo were arrested after the tragic accident on Friday and may be charged with manslaughter. The pilots were held in custody for two days in Lima before being released on Saturday night. The International Federation of Airline Pilots (IFALPA) issued a note on the event:
“The Federation considers this situation unacceptable. Keeping in custody individuals who are already under intense psychological pressure due to an accident is extremely detrimental to flight safety and can only hinder the investigation. Furthermore, it shows a total disregard for the principles of the Positive Safety Culture established by Annexes 13 (Aeronautical Accidents and Incident Investigation) and 19 (Safety Management) of the Convention on International Civil Aviation”, he said.
In addition, the Federation claims that the arrest could lead to a false perception by the public that the accident was the result of intentional actions by the pilots. IFALPA asks that there is no speculation about what happened and says that only the competent authorities can reveal what were the causes that led to the accident.
There were no dead passengers or crew on the plane. However, two occupants of the vehicle died, while another is still in critical condition.
According to the Peruvian press, the pilots will be investigated for 120 working days.
The pilots were probably released only when the Peruvian authorities discovered that the fire trucks crossing the runway were participating in a fire drill nearby and would have entered the runway without authorization. The exercise is part of a disaster response required as part of preparations for the new runway, which is expected to be ready in January.
However, according to the airport operator, the firefighters were authorized to carry out the exercise and cross the runway. The firefighters had coordinated with the air traffic service the day before, and the exercise would begin between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm.
Given the conflicting information, the airport said it will continue to work together with the responsible bodies to clarify the facts involved in the accident.
THE ACCIDENT:
The collision happened when the Airbus A320neo, registration CC-BHD. Flight LA ""2213 was accelerating as it taxied for takeoff when a fire truck crossed the same runway at Jorge Chavez Airport in Lima.
The plane had already reached 120 knots (about 222 km/h) and was unable to stop in time to avoid the collision. The truck hit engine number 2 (right side), which tore off and caused a fire.
The landing gear also broke on impact. Click on the external link below to view the video of the accident.
Airbus A320neo on fire
Image: Social media
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Rafael Ramos
Aviation enthusiast from an early age, he had his first contacts with the area developing that good old habit of spending dozens of hours in front of the screens of Micrsoft Flight Simulator and other simulators. With a solid background in various technological areas, including engineering and chemistry, Rafael has rejoined aviation as editor and author of articles and materials on our portal, providing invaluable help to the dynamics and expansion of the website and the aeronautical community, bringing us the news and updates so indispensable for us to remain current in our area of operation.
   
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