From CNN.com

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- A large cargo plane crashed at the end of a runway and split in two while trying to take off Sunday at Brussels airport, authorities said.

Four of the five crew members on board the Boeing 747 were slightly injured and were hospitalized, said Jan Van der Cruysse, spokesman at Brussels Airport.

"The plane is very seriously damaged," he said. The aircraft cracked in two after it crashed at the end of runway 220, which lies very close to a rail line and houses.

Rail services to and from the airport were suspended as a safety precaution, however the crash did not affect other flights at the airport, Van der Cruysse said.

Francis Vermeiren, mayor of the nearby town of Zaventem, said the plane did not catch on fire when it crashed after attempting to take off. Vermeiren was coordinating rescue efforts at the airport.

"The plane is not on fire but it has split into two," he told VRT radio.

Firefighters coated the wings of the plane with special fire retardant foam as a precaution because the plane was still full of jet fuel, the mayor said.

He said the plane was on a scheduled flight to Bahrain. It was not known what cargo the plane was carrying.

Vermeiren said the pilot told rescue authorities he heard a large noise while trying to take off just after midday. It was not yet clear what caused the crash.

The plane is owned by Kalitta Air, a cargo carrier based at Willow Run Airport near Ypsilanti, Michigan, and makes regular flights from Brussels, officials said. A person who answered the telephone at Kalitta Air said Sunday morning that no one was immediately available to comment.

Cap-10

There went someone's mail...

My father, who works in the aviation risk management business, told me a long time ago to walk away if I ever have to get on a rotator run by Kalitta Air. He said they have one of the worst safety records in the industry, not necessarily by the number of crashes, but by unsafe maintenance practices.

At least one photo...

https://www.javno.com/en/world/clanak.php?id=151092

Doesn't look like a 747 to me...

At least one photo...

https://www.javno.com/en/world/clanak.php?id=151092

Unless there is a B-747 mod that I don't know about that moved engines to the aft fuselage, something is a-miss.

Upon further investigation the tail number picture (SU-BOY) was an AMC MD-83 that skidded off the runway at Istanbul (IST) back in Oct 07.

According to the Kalitta Air Website, they only fly 747's.

Cap-10

Upon closer inspection of the picture site, there is a caption above the text that says "illustrative photo"...ie. "we don't have a good photo of the event and don't think anybody will notice anyway"

Here's a pic

https://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1317110,00.html

Sledy

It wasn't long ago that a Kalitta 747 lost an engine (nacelle and all) into Lake Michigan. I've had buddies that have worked for Kalitta in the past. Definitely a shady operation.

It wasn't long ago that a Kalitta 747 lost an engine (nacelle and all) into Lake Michigan. I've had buddies that have worked for Kalitta in the past. Definitely a shady operation.

Evergreen Air Cargo (another shady operation) 747 had the same thing happen in Anchorage back in 93.

Edited May 25, 200817 yr by Nole_96

Evergreen Air Cargo (another shady operation)

Evergreens shadiness usually comes at the benefit of a three letter government paycheck

The aircraft cracked in two after it crashed at the end of runway 220, which lies very close to a rail line and houses.

The aircraft cracked in two after it crashed at the end of runway 220

The other end is probaly runway 400!

Edited May 26, 200817 yr by regularjoe

Evergreen Air Cargo (another shady operation) 747 had the same thing happen in Anchorage back in 93.

There's nothing shady about Evergreen at all. Uncle Dell has some past company connections, but most of their business is AMC charters. According to a friend, the paychecks are early and the aircraft are well-catered.

Not a first rate career destination, but not a bad place to work either.

There's nothing shady about Evergreen at all. Uncle Dell has some past company connections, but most of their business is AMC charters. According to a friend, the paychecks are early and the aircraft are well-catered.

Not a first rate career destination, but not a bad place to work either.

"2"

It wasn't long ago that a Kalitta 747 lost an engine (nacelle and all) into Lake Michigan. I've had buddies that have worked for Kalitta in the past. Definitely a shady operation.

It wasn't long ago that a FedEx DC10 lost an engine (nacelle and all) over Arkansas. I've had buddies that have worked for FedEx in the past. Definitely a shady operation.

It wasn't long ago that a FedEx DC10 lost an engine (nacelle and all) over Arkansas. I've had buddies that have worked for FedEx in the past. Definitely a shady operation.

So... Who is a shady operation? FedEx?

This is a Kalitta 747, not FedEx. Back in the day when Connie was operating Dc-8s yes things were real shady! A bunch of us who worked for another DC-8 operator would drive up from Dayton to go make some extra $$ doing MX Checks for him... There was a lot of questionable stuff on those tails. However, after Connie sold the company and then eventually bought it back a few years later things had changed for the better. All the Dc-8s are gone and he is strictly flying 747s with much much better Mx. Not saying there aren't still a few questionable things.... but then again this is aviation and there are always things going on that are questionable.

So... Who is a shady operation? FedEx?

This is a Kalitta 747, not FedEx. Back in the day when Connie was operating Dc-8s yes things were real shady! A bunch of us who worked for another DC-8 operator would drive up from Dayton to go make some extra $$ doing MX Checks for him... There was a lot of questionable stuff on those tails. However, after Connie sold the company and then eventually bought it back a few years later things had changed for the better. All the Dc-8s are gone and he is strictly flying 747s with much much better Mx. Not saying there aren't still a few questionable things.... but then again this is aviation and there are always things going on that are questionable.

Man...it is hard to get a point across on the vast expanse known as the Internet....

Re-read my post. I quoted (in jest) a bubba who claimed that Kalitta is a shady operation because their engine fell off. FedEx had an engine fall off of one of their planes several years back. The point I was making is: An engine falling off of a plane does not make a shady operation!

I could have said, "Kalitta is a very solid operation. Just because an engine fell off, doesn't make them shady."

BUT, that wouldn't have meant a whole lot...so, I made a funny. I replaced the words "Kalitta" and "747" with "FedEx" and "DC-10." Obviously, I should have clarified my remark for those that are unfamiliar with some of FedEx's history...

I guess it isn't funny if I have to explain it.

Sorry...next time I won't try to be quick-witted. I'll be dead serious...or add a smiley or something...

When Kalitta wants to cut down on their fleet, they don't mess around...

747 freighter crashes in Colombia

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) -- A flower-laden U.S. cargo plane headed for Miami crashed near the Colombian capital on Monday, killing two people on the ground, according to local authorities.

None of the plane's U.S. crew was reported killed, although a hospital director said one was in serious condition.

It was the second time in about six weeks that a Boeing 747 flown by Kalitta Air of Ypsilanti, Michigan, has crashed.

The plane's crew told air traffic controllers that one of the engines was on fire and radio contact was lost seconds later, said Donald Tascon, deputy director of Colombia's civil aviation agency, to RCN radio. The cause was under investigation.

Madrid village Mayor Diego Humberto Sicard said the plane hit a ranch roughly 15 miles (25 kilometers) northwest of Bogota at 3:50 a.m. (4:50 a.m. ET). The two people who died, Pedro and Edwin Suarez, lived in a small house on a ranch, the mayor said.

Kalitta Air Vice President Pete Sanderlin told The Associated Press that the plane, with eight crewmembers aboard, had stopped in Bogota to pick up flowers and was scheduled to land in Miami at about 8 a.m.

"We think all of the crew on board had various injuries, from slight to more serious injuries," Sanderlin said. "We don't know the extent of it yet."

Two crew members were treated at a local hospital, while six others were sent to the Central Police Hospital in Bogota. The director there, Col. Nader Lujan, told RCN radio that one, identified as Josephy Kendall, was in serious condition.

Sanderlin said Kalitta was operating the plane for another airline, Centurion Air Cargo. A woman who answered the phone at Centurion's office in Miami referred questions to Kalitta.

Another Kalitta-operated Boeing 747 crashed and broke apart in Brussels, Belgium, on May 25 while pilots tried to abort a takeoff, according to U.S. and Belgian authorities. All five crewmembers survived, though four were slightly injured.

It was also the second time in little more than 24 hours that a cargo line based at Willow Run Airport near Ypsilanti suffered a crash in Latin America.

A DC-9-15 freighter operated by USA Jet Airlines crashed early Sunday while nearing the airport in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. The pilot of the plane, 46-year-old Lon McIntosh of Middletown, Ohio, died in the crash, according to his family and Mexican officials.

Source

Holy crap. They are quickly depleting the world's supply of 747-200s. Guys did a good job setting it down, so far everyone on the crew survived.

Edited July 8, 200817 yr by Nole_96

Kalitta also lost Scott Kalitta in a Funny Car accident a few weeks ago. Im not sure how or if he was related to Conrad Kalitta who owns the airline but his racing team was sponsored by Kalitta Air. In any case, pretty bad year for that company!

Kalitta also lost Scott Kalitta in a Funny Car accident a few weeks ago. Im not sure how or if he was related to Conrad Kalitta who owns the airline but his racing team was sponsored by Kalitta Air. In any case, pretty bad year for that company!

Scott was his son, Conrad is also a retired drag race driver

That happened yesterday in Bogota. Folks are saying the #1 engine caught fire on departure and the jet crashed in a field. All 8 crew survived, but there were deaths on the ground on the ground. Bad year for Connie Kalitta on both the race team/family and business side.

https://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas...h.ap/index.html

Two crashes in one year, I would say someone is going to have a hard time keeping an insurance carrier, not to mention confidence with freight forwarders that your freight will actually get there.

Sad year for them.