TACA Flight 390

Aircraft The aircraft was an Airbus A320-233 with c/n 1374. It was built in 2000 and was registered as EI-TAF in 2006. Among the passengers were the Brazilian ambassador to Honduras, Brian Michael Fraser Neele; his wife, Jeanne Chantal; former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Daniel López Carballo; president of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration Harry Brautigam; former Honduran Minister of Industry and Commerce, Norman Garcia; Marta Castillo, Vice-president of the Chamber of Commerce, and former Minister of Housing and Planning of Costa Rica, Helio Fallas. • The pilot-not-flying was 26-year-old First Officer Juan Rodolfo Artero Arevalo. He had 1,607 hours with 250 of them on the Airbus A320. Both pilots had previous experience in landing at Toncontín International Airport; Captain D'Antonio had landed at the airport 52 times, and First Officer Artero had landed there five times. == Accident ==

Flight 390 was a short-haul flight from San Salvador to the Honduran capital of Tegucicalpa that would later continue to Miami, Florida. On 30 May 2008, the aircraft operating the flight was carrying 124 passengers and 11 crew members. The flight was scheduled to take off at 08:45 local time, with an expected time of arrival at 09:45 a.m. It took off from Comalapa Airport at 09:05 a.m. Seconds after coming into a stop, hysteria quickly set in inside the cabin. Fire began to erupt on the right wing after a pole tore through it. Coincidentally, a fire truck was travelling on the road and immediately extinguished the flames. Meanwhile, airport personnel at Toncontín deployed rescue services to the crash site. Survivors began pouring out from the opened doors and also breaks within the airframe. Rescuers attempted to rescue the occupants who were trapped inside the business class, who were trapped by the avionics and parts of the aircraft that had pushed through the floor and walls. ==Response==

Emergency services arrived within minutes at the crash site. Firefighters reported that fuel could be seen leaking from the broken wing and attempts were made to douse the aircraft. After the forward door was successfully opened, rescuers managed to rescue the remaining occupants who were trapped by the mangled cabin. They also stated that at least two people were trapped inside the cars that had been crushed by the aircraft. Authorities later cordoned the area and tried to move hundreds of onlookers who had gathered at the site. TACA opened phone lines to provide more information for the relatives on the crash. A list of passengers was provided in the fifth press release on the crash from TACA international. Officials from the airline stated that emergency procedure were being implemented immediately after the crash. Five people died as a result of the accident, including Captain D'Antonio. The deceased passengers were later confirmed as Jeanne Chantal Neele, the wife of (Brazil's ambassador to Honduras, who was also on board), and Nicaraguan businessman Harry Brautigam, president of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration; Brautigam died from a heart attack. La Nación initially stated that there were two fatalities on the ground, both of whom were university students. Honduran newspaper La Prensa stated that the deceased were a taxi driver and a motorcyclist, whose vehicles were crushed directly beneath the aircraft. The occupants from the other cars that had been hit by the aircraft managed to survive unscathed. A total of 65 people were injured in the crash, many of whom suffered smoke inhalation and cuts. At least 39 people were seriously injured with one person had to be airlifted due to major burns. One of the survivors said that the business class passengers sustained the most serious injuries. Among those injured were Ambassador Fraser Neele, the former head of the Honduran armed forces; Daniel López Carballo, Marta Castillo, Norman Garcia and Helio Fallas. The injured were transported to various hospitals across Tegucigalpa, including the nation's biggest hospital Honduras General Hospital and Tegucigalpa Military Hospital. Helio Fallas reportedly was in serious condition and was transported to Honduras Medical Center. TACA executive director, Roberto Kriete, stated that at least 4 people, including First Officer Artero, were in critical condition. After hearing the news of the crash, incumbent Honduran President Manuel Zelaya announced the closure of Toncontin International Airport for large aircraft and ordered airlines to use Palmerola Air Base for landing, while permitting small aircraft to land in Toncontin. Incoming flights would be diverted to San Pedro Sula. Zelaya stated that U.S President Bush had raised the issue regarding the airport during Zelaya's recent visit. Zelaya also added that a new airport would be built near Toncontin in response to criticisms regarding the airport's notorious reputation of being one of the world's most dangerous airports. ==Investigation==

Honduran authorities delegated the investigation of the accident to the Civil Aviation Authority of El Salvador as per the Convention on International Civil Aviation. The Civil Aviation Authority of Honduras would still be involved in the investigation as it happened within Honduran airspace. Officials stated that investigators from the United States National Transportation Safety Board and representatives from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would be involved as well. France's BEA stated that they would send their representatives to assist the probe. Landing analysis The aircraft touched down at Toncontín after the crew's second attempt at approaching Runway 02. Prior to landing, the crew had acknowledged the dangerous weather condition around the airport, including the presence of tailwind and headwind. The aircraft touched down approximately 400 meters past the displaced threshold and rolled with a ground speed of 160 knots. The nose was still up and remained in the air for 7 seconds. Its nose wheel finally came down when the aircraft had travelled for approximately 950 meters from the displaced threshold. The Civil Aviation Authority concluded the cause of the accident was the flight crew's inappropriate decision to continue the landing despite not assessing the conditions of the runway, which did not follow standard operating procedures. The lack of grooving in the runway and the aircraft landing at a high speed of were also contributing factors. ==Aftermath==

In May 2009, in the aftermath of the crash, the runway was renovated. An additional 300 meters runway extension was added on the south of the runway, increasing the length from 1,863 meters to 2,163 meters. Operations in Toncontín Airport were eventually moved following the inauguration of the new Comayagua International Airport, previously known as Palmerola Air Base, in 2021. ==See also==