Seach on for jet's black boxes

2005-08-03 20:24

Michel Comte

Toronto - Investigators said on Wednesday a lightning storm that battered Toronto probably played a key role in the crash landing of an Air France jet while the crew was hailed for their bravery after all the passengers survived the fiery ordeal.

The Airbus A340 jet still smouldered a day after it hurtled 200m past the runway at Toronto's Pearson International Airport.

Canada's transport minister Jean Lapierre said it was a "miracle" that none of the 297 passengers and 12 crew were not killed.

Passengers leaped down escape chutes and ran for their lives as fire raced through the jet which ended up in a ravine.

Survivors later told how they saw lightning flashes and some thought the plane was hit as it came in to land.

Bad weather was "certainly partly to blame," said Don Enns, senior technical investigator for the transportation safety board of Canada. P> "It was definitely an extreme storm. It was something that we hadn't seen here in some time," added Brian Lackey, vice-president of operations for the Greater Toronto airport authority.

Investigators on Wednesday looked for the jet's black boxes while officials praised the Air France crew for the speedy evacuation.

"As soon as the plane stopped, they immediately opened the side of the plane where they couldn't see any flames, and then they told us to jump," said passenger Olivier Dubois.

A crew member was hospitalised after taking a final look through the burning jet for any trapped passengers.

- AFP