Plane flying from US to Haiti fired upon as it attempted to land

A plane flying from the US to Haiti was fired upon while attempting to land Sofia Rozhik

A Spirit Airlines plane flying from Florida to Haiti came under fire while attempting to land at the airport. It was then forced to head to the neighboring Dominican Republic.

The shooting took place in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince on Monday, November 11. This was reported by Channel 24 with reference to CBS News.

The shooting was opened by local gangs

Flight 951 took off from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and was heading to Port-au-Prince. The plane flew over part of Haiti, circled the capital, and then quickly gained altitude and flew to Cibao International Airport in Santiago.

The airport in Port-au-Princy was closed after the shooting.

Two other flights bound for Toussaint Louverture International Airport in the Haitian capital were also diverted to another airport.

The shooting left bullet holes inside the plane. Damage to the overhead compartment above the seats was also recorded. The plane was taken out of service, and another aircraft was provided for the flight.

There were 48 passengers on board the plane, none of whom were injured. Only a flight attendant sustained minor injuries during the incident.

The shooting was likely carried out by local gangs, whose efforts to block travel in and out of the Haitian capital may include “armed violence and disruption of roads, ports and airports.”

Another plane was damaged by bullets

The security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous. Travel within Haiti is at your own risk. The U.S. Government cannot guarantee your safety at airports, borders, or during any onward travel. You should consider your personal safety situation before traveling to any destination in Haiti, the embassy said.

Airlines also warned that this may not be an isolated incident and such things can happen in some countries where there is political unrest.

Spirit and other airlines suspended flights to Haiti after the incident. And on the evening of November 11, another airline, JetBlue, reported that one of its planes had also been struck by fire.

“JetBlue Flight 935 from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, landed safely at the airport in New York. Although the crew initially reported no problems, a post-flight inspection later discovered that a bullet had struck the exterior of the plane,” they reported.

JetBlue has also canceled its flights to and from Haiti, a ban that will last until December 2.

Other U.S. airlines are suspending flights between Miami and Port-au-Prince until Thursday, November 14.