"Air China plane stuck in asphalt at L.A. airport"

Sunday, March 13, 2005

Air China plane stuck in asphalt at L.A. airport 
China - Xinhua


LOS ANGELES, -- An Air China's Boeing-747 passenger plane got stuck in the
asphalt of Los Angeles International Airport early Sunday morning, but there
were no injuries, authorities said. 

The pilot of the jumbo jet apparently turned too sharply while taxiing
toward a runway at the airport, said Diana Joubert of the Federal Aviation
Administration. 

Joubert said the mishap involving the Beijing-bound Air China Flight 984,
scheduled to depart at 1:40 a.m. (local time), was reported at 1:55 a.m.
(local time). 

The "right main gear crossed into a non-load bearing area of the
intersection, and the gear sank 1.5 feet to 3 feet into asphalt," said Nancy
Castles of Los Angeles International Airport. 

The 313 passengers on board were deplaned at 3:10 a.m. and bused to the
terminal. As of 8 a.m., they were still in the terminal.The right main gear
of the jet wound up on asphalt that is only 3-4 inches deep and "not meant
to hold the weight" of a fully fueled and loaded Boeing-747, said Castles. 

"Fuel is currently being emptied out of the aircraft," said Castles.
"Airport construction crews are digging trenches to put steel plates under
the tires, so that tractors will be able to pull the plane out of the hole."


The runway remained closed, but "there was very light traffic at the airport
this morning, and the accident "had little impact to airfield operations,"
Castles said.


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