With the onset of our first real winter weather this season, comes the crash of a FedEx cargo plane at Lubbock’s Preston Smith International Airport. Above is some raw video taken by one of the photographers at the station I chase storms for, KCBD.
The crash occurred at 4:37 a.m. with temps below 20F and a freezing mist. During the entire night freezing fog/mist, sleet and even a little snow has fallen, coating everything in a sheet of ice. Airport officials have now stated that weather was not a factor.
UPDATE for actual conditions at the time of the crash:
Conditions at: KLBB (LUBBOCK, TX, US) observed 0953 UTC 27 January 2009
Temperature: -7.8°C (18°F)
Dewpoint: -9.4°C (15°F) [RH = 88%]
Pressure (altimeter): 30.13 inches Hg (1020.4 mb)
[Sea-level pressure: 1022.7 mb]
Winds: from the N (10 degrees) at 16 MPH (14 knots; 7.3 m/s)
Visibility: 3 miles (5 km)
Ceiling: 500 feet AGL
Clouds: overcast cloud deck at 500 feet AGL
Weather: FZDZ BR (freezing drizzle, mist)
The plane, a FedEx ATR-42 dual prop plane, was landing on the end of the runway, veered off and caught fire. Both pilots made it out safely. One was treated and released, the other is in the hospital at this writing in satisfactory conditions. Reports are they both walked away from the plane.
The airport was immediately closed, but has now been reopened with limited services.
Weather in west Texas has been on a downturn the last 36 hours as an artic cold front gripped the southern plains just in time for trof of low pressure to bring in a little moisture. Farther east, conditions are even worse, with just about all modes of winter weather associated with this system. Large numbers of auto accidents being reported all across the southern plains, as is typical with winter weather down here.
Unfortunately the measurable precipitation will end up being on the low side, in an area on the verge of drought already. Some places recieving this winter precipitiation have not seen measurable precip in over 3 months.
