Illegal Cuba Travelers Beware

Here's another reason -- other than violating U.S. sanctions law -- why American travelers should think twice before boarding a Cancun-Havana (or other similar third-country) Cubana airlines flight.

From USA Today:

How Safe is that Foreign Airline?

Cuba isn't assessed by the FAA because the United States does not have full diplomatic relations with the nation and doesn't allow direct flights. Many Americans, such as Ronald Howard, a teacher in Atlanta, fly to Mexico or Canada to connect to flights to Cuba.

Howard, who flew to Havana last year from Cancun, Mexico, says he had an unsettling experience on a flight operated by Cubana airlines, the island nation's flagship carrier, which flies to Paris and other major cities.

Howard recalls a white mist spewing into the passenger cabin of the Russian-built Yak-42 aircraft during his flight. The mist, which could restrict visibility during an emergency evacuation, probably was from a faulty cooling and heating system, says John King, a former airline mechanic and safety advocate.

"The plane was smoking white mist all the way. The interior was ice cold, and the emergency exits were rusted," Howard recalls. The jet landed safely in Havana.

USA TODAY e-mailed four contacts listed on Cubana's website but did not get a response.

Cubana's last fatal accident was in 1999, and it has the worst accident rate of any airline from 1986 through 2010, says PlaneCrashInfo.com, a website that compiles accident statistics.