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Hunt for Brazil plane crash clues Brazil jet in 'fast landing' film
(about 4 hours later)
Brazilian officials are investigating what caused a plane to slide off the runway at a Sao Paulo airport and crash on landing, killing up to 200 people. Video footage of the plane that crashed in Brazil on Tuesday killing around 200 appears to show it landing at higher speed than other similar aircraft.
All 186 people aboard the Airbus 320 jet and a number on the ground died in heavy rain on Tuesday evening. The Tam Airbus 320 veered off the runway at Congonhas Airport in Sao Paulo, crossed a busy road before crashing into a building in heavy rain.
Video footage appears to show the plane travelling along the runway at higher speed than other similar aircraft. All 186 people on board died as well as a number of people on the ground.
The runway, criticised for being too short, had been resurfaced, but not yet fully grooved to help drain rain water. Efforts continue to recover all bodies from the crash site while officials investigate possible causes.
The new video footage is said to show the final moments of the TAM flight and another similar plane which had arrived earlier.
It shows the first aircraft apparently taking 11 seconds to travel along the runway, while the plane that crashed covers the same distance in three.
As the Airbus 320 jet touches down at Congonhas airport in a downpour, it slides on the runway.
It disappears out of view and the flash of an explosion can be seen a short time later.
More than 160 bodies have been recovered from the burned wreckage.
See where and how the crash unfolded See where and how the crash unfolded
Marco Bolo, the chairman of Tam Airlines (Tam Linhas Aereas SA), confirmed that there were no survivors amongst the 186 passengers and crew on board the Tam flight from the southern city of Porto Alegre.
The plane accelerated when it reached the end of the runway and tried to take off again to avoid the road Witness Junior Matos Witnesses describe horror
Mr Bolo said three workers in the Tam Airlines building had also been killed and five others were missing.
A Brazilian opposition congressman, Julio Redecker, is reported to have been among those on the flight.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has declared three days of national mourning for the victims of what is thought to be Brazil's worst air disaster.
Runway ban
As the Airbus 320 jet touched down at Congonhas airport in a downpour it slid on the drenched runway.
As the plane careered towards a busy road the pilot tried to take off again, but failed, sending the craft crashing into a fuel depot and cargo warehouse, where it burst into flames.
The new video footage is said to show the final moments of the Tam flight and another similar plane which had arrived earlier.
The video shows the first aircraft apparently taking 11 seconds to travel along the runway, while the plane that crashed covers the same distance in three.
It disappears out of view and the flash of an explosion can be seen a short time later.
According to Brazil's TV Globo, the Brazilian air force, which oversees the country's air traffic control system, believes the footage shows the plane was travelling at excessive speed.According to Brazil's TV Globo, the Brazilian air force, which oversees the country's air traffic control system, believes the footage shows the plane was travelling at excessive speed.
The plane passed over a busy road and ploughed into buildingsReports spoke of motorists being killed on the road and people jumping out of the windows of the low-rise Tam Airlines building as the plane struck. As the plane careered towards the busy road nearby, the pilot tried to take off again, but failed, sending the craft crashing into a Tam Airlines building and a fuel depot, where it burst into flames.
Reports spoke of motorists being killed on the road and people jumping out of the windows of the low-rise building.
Blame game
Some 180 bodies have been recovered from the burnt wreckage, says fire chief Nilton Miranda, adding another 20 bodies are expected to be found.
The plane accelerated when it reached the end of the runway and tried to take off again to avoid the road Witness Junior Matos Witnesses describe horror
Marco Antonio Bologna, the chairman of Tam Airlines (Tam Linhas Aereas SA), confirmed there were no survivors amongst the 186 passengers and crew on board the flight from the southern city of Porto Alegre.
Mr Bologna said three workers in the Tam building had also been killed and five others were missing.
He also said the aircraft had been in perfect condition and was flown by experienced pilots. The plane, he said, was only added to Tam's fleet in December and had been serviced in June.
The runway, criticised for being too short, had been resurfaced, but not yet fully grooved to help drain rain water.
In February, amid fears that the airport was too close to residential areas and that its runways too short, a federal court briefly banned three types of large jet - the Fokker 100, Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737-700 - from using the airport.In February, amid fears that the airport was too close to residential areas and that its runways too short, a federal court briefly banned three types of large jet - the Fokker 100, Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737-700 - from using the airport.
The plane passed over a busy road and ploughed into buildings
The decision was overturned, but the runway was ordered to be resurfaced.The decision was overturned, but the runway was ordered to be resurfaced.
That happened in June, but Brazil's airport authority said work to groove the runway, to help clear rain water, was not scheduled to take place till 28 July, after the concrete had settled.That happened in June, but Brazil's airport authority said work to groove the runway, to help clear rain water, was not scheduled to take place till 28 July, after the concrete had settled.
On Wednesday, Armando Schneider Filho, director of engineering for the nation's airport authority Infraero, said the runway met international safety standards.
"I can confirm that there was no possibility of skidding on this runway. Twenty minutes before the accident, Infraero performed a visual inspection of the runway and detected no problems. It was wet, but there was no accumulation of water," he told a news conference.
Other incidentsOther incidents
A day before Tuesday's accident, two other, smaller planes skidded off the airport's runway.A day before Tuesday's accident, two other, smaller planes skidded off the airport's runway.
AIRBUS A320 Launched: 1988In operation: 1,700Operators include: British Airways; Air France; Air Canada; China Eastern Airlines; Iberia; United Airlines; Jet Blue AirwaysAIRBUS A320 Launched: 1988In operation: 1,700Operators include: British Airways; Air France; Air Canada; China Eastern Airlines; Iberia; United Airlines; Jet Blue Airways
Opposition politicians have attacked the decision to use the runway before the grooving work was done.Opposition politicians have attacked the decision to use the runway before the grooving work was done.
"Reopening a runway that was not ready is tantamount to murder," Onyx Lorenzoni, a congressman from a leading opposition party, told Reuters."Reopening a runway that was not ready is tantamount to murder," Onyx Lorenzoni, a congressman from a leading opposition party, told Reuters.
President Lula has now ordered an investigation into whether the runway was opened too early. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has ordered an investigation into whether the runway was opened too early.
He has also declared three days of national mourning for the victims of what is thought to be Brazil's worst air disaster.
A Brazilian opposition congressman, Julio Redecker, is reported to have been among those on the flight.
Previously, the worst accident in Brazil's aviation history occurred last September, when a Gol Boeing 737 flying from Manaus to Brasilia crashed into the Amazon jungle, killing all 154 people on board after a mid-air collision with a small private jet.Previously, the worst accident in Brazil's aviation history occurred last September, when a Gol Boeing 737 flying from Manaus to Brasilia crashed into the Amazon jungle, killing all 154 people on board after a mid-air collision with a small private jet.
In 1996, a Tam Airlines Fokker-100 crashed minutes after take off from Congonhas airport, bursting into flames and killing all 96 people on board and three on the ground.In 1996, a Tam Airlines Fokker-100 crashed minutes after take off from Congonhas airport, bursting into flames and killing all 96 people on board and three on the ground.
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