# Plane overshoots Jamaica runway; more than 40 hurt



## amtrakwolverine (Dec 23, 2009)

> KINGSTON, Jamaica — An American Airplanes flight carrying 154 people skidded across a Jamaican runway in heavy rain, bouncing across the tarmac and injuring more than 40 people before it stopped just short of the Caribbean Sea, officials and witnesses said.


http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-gener...rshoots.Runway/

another reason to take the train.


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## Neil_M (Dec 23, 2009)

amtrakwolverine said:


> > KINGSTON, Jamaica — An American Airplanes flight carrying 154 people skidded across a Jamaican runway in heavy rain, bouncing across the tarmac and injuring more than 40 people before it stopped just short of the Caribbean Sea, officials and witnesses said.
> 
> 
> http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-gener...rshoots.Runway/
> ...


What train would you take to get you to Jamaica then??

Jamaica? No, she got the plane there of her own free will! :lol:


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## the_traveler (Dec 23, 2009)

Neil_M said:


> amtrakwolverine said:
> 
> 
> > KINGSTON, Jamaica...
> ...


I agree!

If it was Kingston, RI, you could take a train - but not Kingston, Jamaica!


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## Phila 30th St (Dec 23, 2009)

You can take the train to Jamacia very easily! The subway goes there, the JFK Air Train goes there, the LIRR goes there...


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## DET63 (Dec 23, 2009)

Surprisingly (perhaps), Jamaica does have a railway transportation system. Wikipedia has an article on it, but the article is several years old and needs to be updated.


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## jis (Dec 23, 2009)

amtrakwolverine said:


> http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-gener...rshoots.Runway/
> another reason to take the train.


Since I don't see a smiley, I assume that this argument is being made seriously. Which leaves me wondering about the reasonableness of such. So each time a train tumbles off the tracks, which actually happens more often than we like to admit sometimes, would be enough reason to argue that it is better to ride a plane too, or perhaps a car or boat or bicycle?


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## GG-1 (Dec 23, 2009)

Aloha

One thing surprised me this afternoon, was a news report said the plane was a Boeing 737. We have lots of that plane model in the Islands for inter-island travel. During our winter the winds and rain are heavy. I have never heard of one of them skidding. What was different in Jamaica?


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## PetalumaLoco (Dec 23, 2009)

From Aero-News Network;

"The flight encountered significant turbulence and thunderstorm activity while inbound from Miami and is reported to have "bounced" or otherwise had difficulties in the landing, which resulted in a runway overrun which out the aircraft through a fence and cross a road after exiting the confines of the runway environment. Some media reports are attributing a 'skid' during the landing to passengers who were on the flight. Photos from the scene shows the stricken aircraft coming to a rest just yards from the Caribbean Sea... and a far more complicated/risky potential for hazard to crew and passengers if the flight had continued. Weather reports during the time of the approach indicated that there was heavy rain in the area."

We'll have to wait for the investigation to get the details leading up to the rough landing. Microburst? Late touchdown?


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## Green Maned Lion (Dec 24, 2009)

amtrakwolverine said:


> > KINGSTON, Jamaica — An American Airplanes flight carrying 154 people skidded across a Jamaican runway in heavy rain, bouncing across the tarmac and injuring more than 40 people before it stopped just short of the Caribbean Sea, officials and witnesses said.
> 
> 
> http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-gener...rshoots.Runway/
> ...


I love the train. I do. But I wouldn't take one to Jamaica. They make boats for that. Seriously, mon.

A cruise ship.



GG-1 said:


> Aloha
> One thing surprised me this afternoon, was a news report said the plane was a Boeing 737. We have lots of that plane model in the Islands for inter-island travel. During our winter the winds and Wind are heavy. I have never heard of one of them skidding. What was different in Jamaica?


Either:

1) water located on the runway initiated an unusual hydroplane situation that due to all kinds of things that can go wrong- say an engine a few hundred RPM outta whack - caused the plane to completely lose traction and spin.

2) The pilot is a total moron.

3) The pilot through no fault of idiocy jinked his rudder or nose wheel while moving down the runway causing a hydroplane skid, or other similar situation inducing lateral jerk on the aircraft.

4) The mighty hand of Zeus reached down and gave the thing a shove.


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## rrdude (Dec 24, 2009)

I wonder how many PAX were on THAT plane, were also sitting on the Tarmac at BWI for about seven hours, TRYING to get to Jamaica, mon?

If there was even one, I'd SERIOUSLY think about takin' a boat next time........

(just like why I will NEVER fly into Glen Canyon, NEVER!)


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## Bob Dylan (Dec 24, 2009)

The reports I watched had interviews with pax that said the plane "landed" about half way down the runway which was followed by a report that the plane landed DOWNWIND which is not good! The skidding on wet and icy runways is quite common, I've been on lots of flights that did this all over the world! There is an old saying that a good landing is any landing you can walk away from, in this case no-one was killed or seriously injured, thankfully! Wonder if American will offer travel vouchers like Amtrak does for problems enroute? :unsure:

Nor sure if jis is serious or not, I've been on derailed trains and while not fun, it's not even close to a crash on any plane!


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## DET63 (Dec 24, 2009)

> The skidding on wet and icy runways is quite common, I've been on lots of flights that did this all over the world!


I think we can rule out an icy runway in Jamaica!

A wet one, OTOH, may well have been the case. However, if the pilot flies in there regularly, one would expect him (or her) to be able to handle it without too much difficulty.


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## Long Train Runnin' (Dec 24, 2009)

The Airline American Airplanes? I've never heard of them did they mean American Airlines?


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## jis (Dec 24, 2009)

jimhudson said:


> Nor sure if jis is serious or not, I've been on derailed trains and while not fun, it's not even close to a crash on any plane!


So therefore a fully survivable runway overshoot should be the reason to choose to try to take the train to Kingston Jamaica of course?  :lol:


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## Bob Dylan (Dec 24, 2009)

jis said:


> jimhudson said:
> 
> 
> > Nor sure if jis is serious or not, I've been on derailed trains and while not fun, it's not even close to a crash on any plane!
> ...


Well Jamaica,New York would be more like it, I know it's tough getting a train to the Caribean but there will probably be one before the Sunset runs to Florida again or there is a CHI-FLA train! :lol:


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## jis (Dec 25, 2009)

jimhudson said:


> Well Jamaica,New York would be more like it, I know it's tough getting a train to the Caribbean but there will probably be one before the Sunset runs to Florida again or there is a CHI-FLA train! :lol:


It would be kinda hard to fly to Jamaica NY OTOH unless one considers JFK to be Jamaica  in which case of course many thousands do so every day anyway, and even do so without crashing too often 

Maybe we from this board should start a letter writing campaign regarding the Florida service mentioned above, with letters addressed to Amtrak Joe, the SecDOT, and the leadership of the House and Senate + the Amtrak BoD and see if it makes any difference.


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## tp49 (Dec 25, 2009)

jis said:


> jimhudson said:
> 
> 
> > Well Jamaica,New York would be more like it, I know it's tough getting a train to the Caribbean but there will probably be one before the Sunset runs to Florida again or there is a CHI-FLA train! :lol:
> ...


JFK has a Jamaica post office address.


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## the_traveler (Dec 25, 2009)

tp49 said:


> JFK has a Jamaica post office address.


You mean I can take an all rail journey from Jamaica to Rome? :huh:

(Both are in New York State - and Rome is an Amtrak stop! :lol: )


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