![]() CU-T1549,the aircraft involved in the accident of flight 883,at Baracoa Airport just a month before crash
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Accident summary | |
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Date | 4 November 2010 |
Summary | Icing (Investigation is still open as some questions are unanswered) |
Site |
Guasimal, Sancti Spíritus, Cuba 21°44′39″N 79°28′16″W / 21.744194°N 79.470978°WCoordinates: 21°44′39″N 79°28′16″W / 21.744194°N 79.470978°W |
Passengers | 61 |
Crew | 7 |
Fatalities | 68 (all) |
Survivors | 0 |
Aircraft type | ATR-72-212 |
Operator | Aero Caribbean |
Registration | CU-T1549 |
Flight origin | Toussaint Louverture International Airport, Port-au-Prince |
Stopover | Antonio Maceo Airport, Santiago de Cuba |
Destination | José Martí International Airport, Havana |
Aero Caribbean Flight 883 was an international scheduled passenger flight from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to Havana, Cuba, via Santiago de Cuba. On 4 November 2010, the Aero Caribbean ATR-72-212 operating the route crashed in the central Cuban province of Sancti Spíritus, killing all 61 passengers and 7 crew members aboard. It is the joint deadliest accident involving the ATR 72 (Flights 4184 and 883 have killed 68 people), and the third deadliest aviation accident in Cuba.
The aircraft involved was an ATR-72-212, registration CU-T1549, in use with Aero Caribbean since October 2006. It was delivered from the production line in 1995 to its first owner, Simmons Airlines and also with Continental Express as the second one. The Cuba-based company, Aero Caribbean, was the third owner and bought it in 2006. According to the manufacturer, the plane had accumulated almost 25,000 flight hours in more than 34,500 flights. Aero Caribbean is wholly owned by the government of Cuba.
The flight originated in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The aircraft departed Santiago de Cuba en route to Havana around 16:50 local time (20:50 UTC). It was the last flight out of Santiago de Cuba airport before it was closed because of the approach of Hurricane Tomas. At 17:42, the aircraft crashed near the town of Guasimal in Sancti Spíritus province, some 210 miles (340 km) southeast of Havana, after issuing an emergency call. Witnesses said the plane was "flying low and appeared unstable ... pouring out smoke and fire", before hearing an explosion.