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What: Lufthansa Cargo MD-11 freighter
Where: King Khaled International Airport, Riyadh
When: July 27 2010
Who: piloted by 2 German crewmembers
Why: Observers report seeing smoke coming from the plane as it approached the runway. On landing, the plane burst into flames in the mid-section where the hull broke. The plane split in two and collapsed.
The pilot and copilot have been hospitalized. No deaths are reported, but the plane is a total loss. It was carrying 80 tons of freight.
The Lufthansa press release on the crash is titled “Lufthansa Cargo plane crash in Riyadh, 27 Jul 2010.”
“According to the latest reports, a Lufthansa Cargo MD-11 freighter crashed this morning at 11.38 a.m. (local time) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The aircraft, coded Flight LH 8460, was on a flight to Riyadh from Frankfurt, Germany. The plane was piloted by a two-man crew, according to initial reports. Both pilots are being treated in hospital. On board Flight LH 8460 were 80 tonnes of freight. It is not yet known exactly what type of freight it was or which customers are affected. The cause of the accident is still being investigated. At the moment, we have no further details. We will communicate any further information immediately. Updates are also available at www.lufthansa-cargo.com.
The next press release will be published at 2 p.m. CET.”
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