Matthew Waugh wrote:
"Don Tuite" wrote in message
...

I dunno. A jetport in the Azores probably *is* an unusual place. I
wonder what the daily traffic volume is.


To go back to the original crash - at the time the airport was littered with
large airliners because the weather in Europe was horrible and they'd all
landed there to wait it out. So they were back-taxing aircraft on the active
runway because the taxi-ways were full.

It was an unusual day at that airport, it became infamous!

Don't know about the weather in Europe, but it was certainly bad in the
Canaries with fog and low-lying clouds creating very poor visibility. The
intended airport in the islands for both flights was at Las Palmas, but
that airport had closed due to a bomb explosion at the terminal and claims
of a second bomb. As a result the involved planes and others were diverted
to Tenerife resulting in very crowded conditions at the airport there -
and, as stated, using the active runway for back-taxiing. The accident
occurred after Las Palmas reopened and the planes diverted to Tenerife were
being sent back there. Definitely an unusual day.