A Spirit Airlines flight from Florida was hit by gunfire while trying to land in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, on Monday and diverted to the neighboring country of the Dominican Republic, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
A video posted to social media appeared to show a bullet hole inside the Spirit plane near an exit in the back of the cabin.
Spirit Airlines Flight 951 took off from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, just north of Miami, on Monday morning, bound for Port-au-Prince.
Following the incident, Spirit and other airlines suspended service to Haiti.
“JetBlue flight 935 from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, landed safely at New York’s JFK Airport.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a Spirit Airlines flight from Florida was shot at while attempting to land in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, on Monday. The flight was then diverted to the Dominican Republic, which is nearby. During the incident, one of the flight attendants suffered minor injuries.
The FAA issued a statement announcing the precautionary diversion of two additional flights that were headed for Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince. According to the agency, the airport closed after the shooting.
According to a social media video, there appears to be a bullet hole inside the Spirit aircraft close to a rear cabin exit. Damage to an overhead compartment above a row of seats is also visible in the video. Images released by the Dominican Republic airport where the aircraft touched down appear to show what appear to be bullet holes on the outside of the aircraft.
On Monday morning, Spirit Airlines Flight 951, which was headed to Port-au-Prince, departed Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, which is located just north of Miami.
Flightradar24, a website that tracks flights, reports that the aircraft passed over portions of Haiti and passed near Port-au-Prince. Approximately 550 feet above the ground, the Airbus A320 started to swiftly ascend and changed course to head for Cibao International Airport in Santiago, Dominican Republic.
Former National Transportation Safety Board chairman Robert Sumwalt, a transportation safety expert and analyst for CBS News, stated, “I think that was a very solid decision to get out of there.”.
Spirit reported that the aircraft made a safe landing. There were 48 people on the flight, according to the airport. According to the airline, when the aircraft was inspected in Santiago, damage consistent with gunfire was discovered.
CBS News was informed by the Association of Flight Attendants, a union representing flight attendants, that one of the flight attendants on the aircraft was slightly hurt by debris during the incident. Spirit reported no passenger injuries.
The U. S. . In a Monday security alert, the Port-au-Prince Embassy stated that it was aware of “gang-led efforts” to prevent travel to and from the capital, which could involve “armed violence, and disruptions to roads, ports, and airports.”. “.
“The Haitian security situation is dangerous and unpredictable,” the embassy stated. “You travel within Haiti at your own risk. The U. S. . Your safety at borders, airports, and throughout any subsequent travel cannot be guaranteed by the government. Anywhere in Haiti you go, you should think about your personal security situation. “.”.
According to Sumwalt, carriers need to be aware that incidents like Mondays can occur at some of their destinations.
In some of these nations where there is political turmoil and violence, Sumwalt stated, “Airlines really need to make sure that they understand that these kinds of things can happen.”.
The aircraft involved in Monday’s incident was taken out of service, according to Spirit. On Monday, the airline was arranging for a different aircraft to return the passengers and crew to Fort Lauderdale.
Spirit and other airlines halted service to Haiti after the incident.
Spirit announced the suspension of its service in northern Haiti’s Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien “pending further evaluation.”. “,”.
JetBlue reported on Monday night that it had found that one of its aircraft had also been struck by gunfire.
“At JFK Airport in New York, JetBlue flight 935 from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, made a safe landing. The operating crew initially reported no problems, but a post-flight examination revealed that a bullet had struck the aircraft’s exterior. “..”.
JetBlue suspended its service to and from Haiti until December. 2. The carrier issued a statement saying, “We will continue to monitor the situation closely and update our plans as necessary.”.
American Airlines announced that it would be stopping service between Miami and Port-au-Prince until Thursday. “We will continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation as needed,” the airline said in a spokesperson.
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