By TesfaNews,
AN INCIDENT on Tuesday 29th April by Yemenia Airbus A330-200, flight IY-630 from Sana’a caused Asmara Airport to close temporarily.
The incident happened after the plane landed and slowed safely on Asmara’s runway 07 and an attempt by the pilot to turn around and backtrack at the end of the runway to taxi, the nose and left main gear went off the runway, damaging and disabling the aircraft.
All the passengers and crew members on board, however, are reportedly safe.
As a result of the incident, all Asmara bound flights have been cancelled until the aircraft was repaired and removed from the runway on May 1st, 2014.
The plane finally positioned back to Yemen on May 1st and resumed service afterwards.
The last reported incident of Yemenia was in August 2001 at the same Airport in Eritrea.
It was reported then that a Boeing 727 of Yemenia Airline approached Asmara Airport during favorable weather conditions shortly after it encountered some rainfall.
The wet asphalt of the runway caused the airplane breaks to malfunction during touchdown causing the aircraft to overrun the runway, which made the aircraft slid 200 meters before coming to a rest.
The aircraft was damaged beyond repair, the main landing gear is said to have failed after colliding with a large block of concrete. The 107 passengers and 4 crew on board of the Boeing 727 have escaped the crash with minor injuries.
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