Terrifying moment packed Boeing 777 jet scrapes its tail hundreds of yards along Italian runway in cloud of smoke before hero pilots avert disaster that could have ‘killed everyone on board’
This is the heartbreaking moment a Boeing 777 jet packed with passengers skidded hundreds of metres down an Italian runway.
The 777 plane, part of the fleet of Chilean airline Latam, was spotted with its tail over the runway at Milan Malpensa airport in northern Italy on Tuesday.
Video footage shows the plane, which can carry more than 500 passengers at a time, unable to take off due to smoke and debris falling behind the aircraft during the failed takeoff.
According to Corriere, passengers also saw sparks from the plane, which was flying to Sao Paulo in Brazil, as it dragged along the runway.
The pilot was someone who could get the plane off the ground, but was asked to land it immediately for an inspection.
FlightRadar data shows the plane, flying under the code LA8073, circled the airport nine times before landing again.
The 777 jet, part of the fleet of Chilean airline Latam, was seen dragging its tail across the runway at Milan Malpensa airport in northern Italy
Video footage showed the plane, which can carry more than 500 passengers at a time, was unable to take off because smoke and debris flew behind the aircraft during the failed takeoff.
According to local media, the plane is currently grounded at Milan Malpensa.
Italian authorities are still investigating the incident and are in contact with “investigative bodies from Brazil and the US.”
Boeing has come under heavy scrutiny for a series of serious failures. Earlier this week, the company announced it plans to plead guilty to fraud in connection with the approval of its 737 Max before two of the planes crashed, killing 346 people off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia.
The US aerospace giant has apparently calculated that it is better to confess to a crime than to fight the charges and endure a lengthy public trial.
In a legal document filed late Sunday night, minutes before the midnight deadline, the Justice Department made the agreement public and said the fraud charge was “the most serious, readily provable offense” that could be brought against Boeing.
Prosecutors said Boeing must pay an additional $243.6 million in fines, equal to the fine the company paid in 2021 for the same crime.
The Justice Department says that if convicted of fraud, Boeing would be held liable for “false statements” the company made to regulators who certified the 737 Max in 2017.
The crashes occurred less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019.
The company remains under investigation over the January explosion of a panel on an Alaska Airlines Max plane, increased scrutiny by the Federal Aviation Administration and allegations from current and former employees of poor workmanship and retaliation against whistleblowers.
Boeing’s settlement brings the total to $487.2 million, the Justice Department said, the maximum amount legally awarded for the fraud charge.
The deal also requires the company to invest at least $455 million to improve safety.
The case will be heard under court supervision for three years, and the Justice Department will appoint an independent monitor to oversee Boeing’s compliance with the terms of the settlement agreement.
Boeing’s board of directors will also speak with the victims’ families.