AeroUnion Airbus A300F Flight 302
Six people died on April 13, 2010, when the AeroUnion Airbus A300F freighter crashed onto a Monterrey, Mexico, roadway. All five crew members and one motorist on the ground perished in the terrible crash, which occurred as the cargo carrier approached Monterrey International Airport’s runway after an aborted landing. Reports state that the freighter was cleared to land, but came down about two kilometers short of the runway threshold.
The flight originated in Mexico City and was en route to Los Angeles, making an intermediate stop at Monterrey. As the freighter approached the runway, it lost height, impacted the roadway, and burst into flames, separating the nose and wings from the fuselage. A Reuters’ witness said that partially burned wreckage from the aircraft was visible on the road leading into the airport in an area near several hotels.
ATW Online reported that there were rain showers and intra-cloud lightening in the area at the time of the crash, but Mexican Civil Aviation Director Hector Gonzalez told Milenio TV network that “we don’t have probable cause of the accident…we know there was heavy rain and some fog, but that did not impede operations.” He also said that there were no mechanical issues or anything else abnormal.
The airframe was first built in 1979 and was converted to a freighter in 1998, according to the Aviation Herald. They also reported that the airplane had accumulated about 55,200 flight hours and completed approximately 27,600 cycles. AeroUnion acquired the aircraft in 2002, and used it to transport cargo within Mexico and between Mexico and two U.S. destinations, LAX and Chicago O’Hare.
AeroUnion began operating a fleet in 2001 and this is the company’s first major accident.
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