The Air Serbia plane sustained damage to its fuselage and wing during takeoff in Belgrade
A passenger plane was left with holes in its fuselage and wing after overshooting the runway during takeoff in Belgrade on Sunday, according to media reports. Air Serbia flight JU324 made a successful emergency landing about an hour later.
The airline confirmed that the Embraer E195LR, which is operated on its behalf by partner firm Marathon Airlines, had to return to Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport instead of taking a scheduled trip to Dusseldorf, Germany. Air traffic data tracked by FlightRadar24 shows the aircraft circling twice before returning to the ground.
Purported images of the plane show serious damage to its left side. Fuel appeared to be leaking from its ruptured wing root – the part that connects to the main body – into a container placed under it.
Flight JU324 from Belgrade to Düsseldorf, operated by a different company despite using the AirSerbia logo, returned to Belgrade shortly after takeoff. After the passengers were evacuated, the plane was intervened. The plane’s wing is broken 🫨🫥😱🫣 pic.twitter.com/cxHwj1NtQh
— Star ✌️✊ (@Kskrck) February 19, 2024
The plane was taking off from runway 30L and apparently overshot it, hitting equipment for the nearby runway 12R. They are the two newest at the airport, opening last July.
FlightRadar24 identified the equipment that the E195LR collided with as an instrument landing system array, while Serbian media called it ‘approach lights’.
The 15-year-old plane reportedly had over 100 passengers on board. They were not at risk during the emergency, Air Serbia said.
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A similar incident happened in Belgrade two years ago to the day. In 2022, FlyDubai flight FZ 1746 also overshot the runway. The Boeing 737-8 MAX luckily did not hit anything and reached its destination in the United Arab Emirates safely.
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