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Accident description
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Status: Preliminary
Date: 30 MAY 2008
Time: ca 09:40
Type: Airbus A320-233
Operator: TACA International Airlines
Registration: EI-TAF
C/n / msn: 1374
First flight: 2000
Engines: 2 IAE V2527E-A5
Crew: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants:
Passengers: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants:
Total: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 124
Airplane damage: Written off
Location: Tegucigalpa-Toncontin Airport (TGU) (Honduras) show on map
Phase: Landing
Nature: International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport: San Salvador-Comalapa International Airport (SAL/MSLP), El Salvador
Destination airport: Tegucigalpa-Toncontin Airport (TGU/MHTG), Honduras
Flightnumber: 390
Narrative:
TACA Flight 390 is a regular flight from San Salvador (SAL), El Salvador to Miami (MIA), USA with an intermediate stop at Tegucigalpa (TGU), Honduras. The A320 took off from San Salvador around 09:05 and landed at Tegucigalpa's runway 02 around 09:40. It overran the runway, onto a street and came to rest against an embankment.

Runway 02/20 is a 6112 x 148 feet (1863 x 45 meters) asphalt runway. The current NOTAM advised a.o. that the runway could be wet: "RWY 02/20 OPR BUT CTN ADVISED DUE TO WET SURFACE ON RAINY SEASON. 06 MAY 16:00 2008 UNTIL PERM. "

Weather around the around the time of the accident (15:40 UTC) was reported by the following METARs:
MHTG 301500Z 19004KT 2000S -DZ FEW008 BKN020 OCV080 21/19 Q1016 2KM S SW WSW D/C 8KM PCPN CL HZ= [Wind 190 degrees at 4 knots, light drizzle, Ceiling 2,000 ft. broken clouds, few clouds at 800 ft., overcast 8,000 ft., Temperature 21°C, Dewpoint 19°C, QNH 1016 mB]
MHTG 301600Z 20009KT 3000SW -DZ FEW006 BKN020 OVC080 22/20 Q1017 3KM SW WSW W 8KM CTE E PCPN CL D/C UNL HZ AVION DE TACA ACCIDENTADO EN LA PISTA 19 EN EL AEROPUERTO TONCONTIN=
At the morning of the accident, tropical storm Alma buffeted Nicaragua's Pacific coast but was losing force as it headed inland over southern Honduras.

Sources:
» Avión de TACA se sale de la pista tras aterrizar en aeropuerto de Tegucigalpa (El Tiempo, 30-5-2008)
» TVC Honduras

http://avherald.com/h?article=4077cedf&opt=0

According to aviation professionals witnessing the landing at the Toncontin airport the airplane touched down within the landing zone.

The deputy director of Aeronáutica Civil de Honduras, Boris Ferrera, said: "We believe, it could have been a mechanical failure. It is currently presumed, that it was a brakes failure." (not surprising that they would want to blame something other than the airport)

It just gets worse for Taca. The self-proclaimed "newest fleet in the Americas" may need a little maintenance.

Bottom line: On my flight home yesterday, ALL 12 business class seats were free because nobody qualified to sit there. Cattle class was really great, I didn't sleep a fucken minute. Those C*ck suckers can take their new policy and shove it up their ass.

As far as Oranges comment "The self proclaimed "newest fleet in the Americas" may need a little maintenance " it brings to mind (to paraphrase)" hell as no fury like a frequent flier scorned"