Airplane Was On Approach, Panel Fell Into Mall Parking Lot

A fairing that was part of the flap assembly on a 747 freighter broke off the aircraft while it was on approach to Miami International Airport Friday. The flap panel fell into a mall parking lot, but there were no injuries and no damage on the ground.

The 747 freighter belonging to Atlas Airlines was arriving from Santiago, Chile. It landed safely at Miami International. The FAA said they would inspect the aircraft's maintenance records as well as the part that fell off the airplane.

The international news service AFP reports that the aircraft was about 2.5 miles from landing when the incident occurred. The fiberglass panel fell into a largely empty section of the parking lot at Miami International Shopping Mall in Doral, FL. "The plane landed safely at MIA and we understand no one was injured and that there was no property damage," Atlas, one of the world's largest freight transport companies, said in a statement on the company website. "Atlas is grateful that no one was injured and is investigating the matter further. Atlas is also cooperating with the appropriate authorities in their review of this matter. Atlas takes this matter very seriously and will be conducting a thorough investigation."

File Photo

FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen also promised a thorough investigation. "We'll look into every aspect of this situation to determine why it happened," she said.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.atlasair.com