Cuba plane crash: 110 dead as investigators recover flight's black box voice recorder
Eyewitness says the pilot turned the stricken jet away from a residential area shortly before it came down
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The fiery crash of an ageing Boeing passenger jet close to Havana's main airport killed 110 people while three survivors remain gravely ill in hospital, officials have said, making it the Caribbean island's deadliest air disaster in nearly 30 years.
The initial death toll from state-run airline Cubana's stricken Flight 972 was 103. But Cuba's transportation minister confirmed that number had now risen.
It came as investigators said they had retrieved the black box cockpit voice recorder, which may offer clues to the as-yet unanswered questions about why the Boeing 737 crashed.
Skies were overcast and rainy at the airport at the time of the accident and state television said the 39-year-old jet veered sharply to the right after departing on a domestic flight to the eastern city of Holguin.
Eyewitness Rocio Martinez said she heard a strange noise and looked up to see the plane with an engine on fire.
"In flames, here it comes falling toward the ground and it seems (the pilot) saw it was an area that was too residential and makes a sharp turn," Ms Martinez said. "To avoid (the houses) ... to avoid a tragedy, because there would have been a massacre."
Among the dead are 20 clergy members of an evangelical church and the Mexican pilots and cabin crew.
Commenting on the three female survivors, Carlos Alberto Martinez, director of Havana’s Calixto Garcia Hospital, said: "We must be conscious that they present severe injuries. They are in a critical state."
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said a special commission had been formed to find the cause of the crash. The plane had 113 people on board, including six crew members.
State airline Cubana, which operated the flight, has had a generally good safety record but is notorious for delays and cancellations, and has taken many of its planes out of service because of maintenance problems in recent months, prompting it to hire charter aircraft from other companies.
Mexican officials said the Boeing 737-201 was built in 1979 and rented by Cubana from Aerolineas Damojh, a small charter company that also goes by the name Global Air.
Aviation authorities in Guyana last year stopped the same aircraft from conducting charter flights because of serious safety concerns, including fears about excessive baggage overloading and other issues.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments