R.I.P. Scout26
Hospital reports crew of FedEx plane in satisfactory conditionBy A-j Staff | Avalanche-Journal Tuesday, January 27, 2009Story last updated at 1/27/2009 - 12:28 pmA FedEx cargo plane that crashed at the Lubbock airport early this morning delayed or cancelled numerous flights.The ATR-42 twin turboprop aircraft inbound from Fort Worth crashed at 4:37 a.m. just at the end of a runway, about 1,000 feet before it should have landed. It burst into flames. Emergency personnel quickly put out the blaze.The two pilots on board, a man and woman whose names weren’t released, were taken to University Medical Center with what appeared to be minor injuries, officials said.James Loomis, director of aviation at the Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport, said he couldn’t speculate on the cause of the crash, but a FedEx spokeswoman said the plane skidded off the runway.Loomis said there hadn’t been any reports of slick runways this morning and visibility was at least two miles. There had been air traffic on the runways this morning prior to the crash. “As far as the airport goes, the runways were acceptable,” he said.The aircraft will be kept at the crash site for at least two days while officials with the National Transportation Safety Board investigate.The runway was temporarily shut down, but officials planned to begin using it again this morning, Loomis said.Southwest and American Airlines cancelled 8 flights and delayed others as much as 4 hours, according to Federal Aviation Administration data. The airport was showing no delays for flights after 12:40 p.m. Flight passengers should call their airlines for delay information.Idaho-based Empire Airways operated the plane, FedEx spokesman Jim McCluskey said. Shipping operations in Lubbock would continue as normal, though packages on the plane would not be touched until a federal investigation of the crash completed, he said.“Access is restricted until that investigation is concluded and then we can actually get in there and remove packages that can be salvaged,” McCluskey said.Residents needing flight information may call the following numbers:American Eagle: 1 (800) 433-7300Continental Airlines: 1 (800) 525-0280Southwest: 1 (800) 435-9792(The Associated Press contributed to this report)
Well, I did have that old crate of oily rags, gas cans and newspapers I was sending to my uncle. Luckily it was insured.
