Thursday, 12 December 2024
Aviation Safety

Spirit Airlines aircraft struck by gunfire while landing in Haiti

Multiple carriers suspend flights as security situation deteriorates in Port-au-Prince

254
A Spirit Airlines Airbus A320-271N takes off on its inaugural flight from San Jose Mineta International Airport. (Photo: Noah Daneman via flysanjose.com)

A Spirit Airlines Airbus A320-271N (with tail number N966NK) was struck by gunfire while attempting to land at Port-au-Prince’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport on Monday, prompting multiple carriers to suspend operations to Haiti amid escalating security concerns.

Flight NK-951, operating from Fort Lauderdale to Port-au-Prince, was on final approach to runway 28 when it was hit by gunfire, forcing the crew to execute an immediate go-around. The aircraft diverted to Santiago in the Dominican Republic, where it landed safely approximately 35 minutes later.

According to The Aviation Herald, the aircraft was hit four times, with bullet holes penetrating the fuselage and striking overhead compartments. Spirit Airlines confirmed that while no passengers were injured, one flight attendant sustained minor injuries and was evaluated by medical personnel.

Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed the aircraft descended to an altitude of 550 feet over Port-au-Prince’s Tabarre neighborhood before rapidly climbing away from the runway.

In a separate incident on the same day, JetBlue reported that one of their aircraft operating Flight 935 from Port-au-Prince to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport was discovered to have bullet damage during a post-flight inspection.

The incidents have prompted widespread flight suspensions. Haiti’s civil aviation authority has suspended all operations at Port-au-Prince airport until November 18. Spirit Airlines has suspended services to both Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien, while JetBlue has suspended all flights to Haiti through December 2. American Airlines has cancelled flights until Thursday, and local carrier Sunrise Airways has suspended operations until further notice.

The U.S. Embassy in Haiti issued a security alert warning of “gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince” and characterized the security situation as “unpredictable and dangerous.”

These aviation incidents coincide with significant political changes in Haiti, as businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aimé was sworn in as the country’s new prime minister on Monday, replacing Garry Conille who served less than six months in office.

Written by
Dirk Andrei Salcedo

Dirk is the founder and editor-in-chief of Aviation Updates Philippines (AUP), a platform dedicated to providing the latest news and insights on the aviation industry in the Philippines. With a strong passion for aviation and a background in computer engineering, he manages all aspects of AUP, from website development to content curation.

Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Newsletter

Featured Stories

Categories

Related Articles

Aviation Safety

Swiftair 737 cargo plane crash near Vilnius kills one, injures three

A Swiftair Boeing 737-400 cargo freighter, operating flight QY-5960 on behalf of...

Aviation Safety

Cargojet 767 freighter overruns runway in Vancouver, nose gear collapses

A Cargojet Boeing 767-300 freighter, operating on behalf of Amazon Prime Air...

Aviation Safety

Siargao Airport operations disrupted by two runway incidents in 26 hours

Within 26 hours, Siargao Airport experienced disruptions due to two separate aircraft...

Aviation Safety

Tool left in Qantas A380 engine flies for nearly 300 hours before discovery

A maintenance tool left inside a Qantas Airbus A380 engine went undetected...