A Spirit Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing in the Dominican Republic after the plane was struck by gunfire while attempting to land in Haiti on Monday.
A Spirit Airlines spokesperson told the Miami Herald that Flight 951, which departed Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, was approaching Toussaint Louverture International Airport when the plane came under fire. Jean-David Desrouleaux, a passenger aboard the plane, recalls hearing a “clack, clack, clack…the metal inside the plane and the plastic just cracking.”
Desrouleaux said the change in air pressure led him and his fellow passengers to believe the plane had been struck. He remembered the pilot initially circling the airport in Port-au-Prince before heading to Santiago to land.
“An inspection revealed evidence of damage to the aircraft consistent with gunfire,” the spokesperson said. “The plane has been taken out of service, and we are arranging for a different aircraft to return our guests and crew” to Fort Lauderdale.
The spokesperson said no passengers were harmed, but a flight attendant sustained minor injuries, adding, “The safety of our guests and team members is our top priority.”
A source with the National Airport Authority told The Miami Herald that the plane flew over Clercine, an area known for ongoing gang violence in the country.
The National Airport Authority has suspended commercial flights at Toussaint Louverture International Airport. JetBlue and American Airlines have canceled all flights into Port-au-Prince until Thursday.
According to the New York Times, a gang opened fire on a United Nations helicopter flying over Port-au-Prince late last month. No one was injured and the helicopter landed safely.
