What could have caused the crash and why were LATAM pilots held in custody? 

After the horrifying accident at Lima’s Jorge Chavez International Airport (LIM), in which a Latam A320 neo aircraft crashed with a fire truck that was obstructing the runway, several questions are being raised. It results in the deaths of two firefighters and critically injured a third.

According to the Lima Airport Partners, coordinated exercises for the firefighting trucks and the excise are carried out on the scheduled dates in accordance with Aviation regulations. and according to the report, LAP also stated that it had coordinated the exercise with the local air traffic control (ATC) authority, the Peruvian Corporation of Commercial Airports and Aviation (CORPAC), a day before the incident, with CORPAC suggesting that the exercise take place “between 15:00 and 16:00 hours the following day.”

In the firefighting tasks, the site was doing a test to see if they could get to an accident scene in the allotted three minutes. This drill is required by Peruvian Aeronautical Regulation (RAP 314), which includes the requirement that rescue teams enter the runway quickly.

When a drill of this nature occurs, the airport temporarily suspends all aircraft arrivals and departures. In rare circumstances, portions of the taxiways will be closed to allow firefighting personnel to support emergency response efforts in the event of an airport accident or incident.

Now that everyone is pointing fingers at one another, the firefighters’ union is defending firefighters, and the pilots’ union is defending pilots. According to reports, LATAM pilots were detained for 24 hours for filing important reports before being released, but the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) denounced the arrest and said it was unacceptable. According to IFALPA, “holding people in jail who are already experiencing significant psychological stress as a result of an accident is particularly damaging to flight safety and can only impede the inquiry.”

According to Jorge Salinas Cerreo, the president of the organization, CORPAC declared that the firefighting vehicle “exceeded all limitations” and was not allowed to access the runway.

“LATAM extends its deepest sympathies to the families of Nicolás Santa Gadea and Angel Torres, aviation firefighters. The third firefighter, Manuel Villanueva, is presently receiving treatment in a hospital, and we will continue to monitor his health, the airline said in a statement released two days after the event.

LATAM has set up every necessary facility to inconvenience passengers and has scheduled additional planes to ensure hassle-free travel. The inquiry into the incident has already begun, but it has not yet been possible to pinpoint the mistake that cost the two firefighters lives.