Two people died when an Airbus A320, having just touched down, collided with their motorbike and sucked them into an engine.
The TAP Air Portugal Airbus A320-200N, operating flight TP-1492 from the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, had just landed in Conakry (the capital, chief port and largest city in the West African country of Guinea) when the accident occurred.
The landing time was shortly before midnight last Friday. As the plane hurtled along the runway after touching down, its starboard (right-hand) engine nacelle slammed into a motorbike speeding across the tarmac with driver and pillion passenger.
The plane’s jet engines are powerful CFM LEAP (Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion) turbofans capable of producing 35,000 pound-force of thrust from 18 blades spinning at up to 19,391 revolutions per minute.
Both people on the motorcycle were killed instantly. The aircraft engine sustained damage and photos show apparent motorbike debris, though the plane “rolled out without further incident”, according to Simon Hradecky’s authoritative Aviation Herald.
The motorbike’s driver is said to have been a security agent responsible for helping protect airport facilities. The identity of the pillion passenger was not disclosed.
AGAC (Civil Aviation Authority of Guinea) has opened an investigation into the tragic collision and the airline has expressed its condolences to the families involved.
No passengers or crew aboard the aircraft were hurt. The return flight was cancelled, and the aircraft was still on the tarmac at Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport, Conakry, about 16 hours after landing, the Aviation Herald said.
Written by: Peter Needham
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