ATW Daily News, "Numerous
fatalities feared in TAM A320 Brazil crash"
A
TAM A320 skidded off a wet runway at Sao Paulo Congonhas
last night, crashing into buildings and bursting into
flame, and all 169 passengers and six crewmembers onboard
were feared dead, according to Sao Paulo State Gov. Jose
Serra.
The accident reportedly
occurred during a driving rainstorm as the aircraft attempted to land on a runway
that has been criticized as being too short. The Sao Paulo fire department said
there also were injuries and possibly fatalities among people on the ground.
The A320 was arriving
from Porto Alegre as Flight 3054, TAM said in a statement. Leonardi Mota, a spokesperson
with airport authority Infraero, said it barreled over a busy highway into a
gas station and a cargo building owned by the airline.
