All 333 occupants of this Iberia Airbus A340-600 (EC-JOH) escaped uninjured after the aircraft overran Runway 35 while landing on 9 November at Ecuador's Quito International airport. Some of the main gear legs appear to have collapsed and both the left-hand Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines and their pylons were severely damaged. The accident occurred shortly after 17:00 local time on a scheduled arrival from Madrid, Spain, and the runway was wet. Runway 35 is 3,120m (10,300ft) long and the airfield elevation 9,230ft. The aircraft ran into the runway's instrument landing system localiser aerial array, destroying it and forcing the country's civil aviation authorities to tighten the approach visibility criteria and close the airport to heavy long-haul aircraft. Late last week it appeared unlikely the damaged aircraft would be moved soon the Ecuadorian transport ministry says technical specialists had yet to decide whether to move the aircraft, while insurance representatives are to examine the A340 to determine whether it can be repaired or declared a write-off.
Source: Flight International
