SABENA TECHNICS HANGAR BLAZE DESTROYS C-130H HERCULES AND ARMAVIA A320
Panorama.am
21:08 05/05/06
A fire overnight at the Sabena Technics hangar in Brussels national
airport has destroyed four aircraft including a Belgian armed forces
Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules and an Airbus A320 belonging to
Amenian national carrier Armavia.
The fire started just after 00:00 and was brought under control
by around 02:30, says Brussels International Airport (BIAC), the
airport operator.
The Sabena Technics hangar, around 1,000m2 (10,760ft2), reached
temperatures of at least 100°C (212°F) buckling the all-metal
structure, bringing the roof down, firefighters say. The fire
continued to burn into the morning, authorities add. Firefighters
say the priority was to avoid the fire spreading to the neighbouring
hangar, owned by the Belgian branch of World of TUI, Jetairfly.
The following amateur photos show the firefighters bringing the blaze
under control. One Sabena Technics employee was seriously injured
and taken to hospital.
A further four were treated for minor injuries.
BIAC says one C-130, operated by the Belgian military, was totally
detroyed in the fire and Sabena Technics says the hangar also housed
three other aircraft at the time of the blaze. Sabena Technics says
one of the aircraft was an Airbus A320 operated by Armavia, which
lost another of its aircraft this week in a fatal accident over the
Black Sea.
Sabena confirms that other aircraft in the hangar were damaged, but
are unable to give further details of the operator, type or extent
of the damage.
The maintenance facility is rated to undertake C- and D-checks on
Boeing 737 and 767s in addition to A320s and C-130s.
Air transport from Brussels was minorly disrupted, with delays of
15-20min in early flights.
Belgian armed force air command operates eleven C-130Hs.
–Boundary_(ID_8m29nBHHeFZ1ImAf+kR2Kw)–