Video shows the moment a plane skidded off a runway Saturday in a heart-stopping moment.
The aircraft diverted from the icy runway and drifted onto muddy grass as it was landing at Vilnius Airport in Lithuania after flying from Italy, Newsweek reported. Video of the incident appeared to show sparks forming under the plane as it skidded down the runway for several seconds before the pilot regained control of the aircraft.
An Avion Express A320-200 landing at Vilnius Airport briefly skidded off the runway, onto the grass and mud, before safely returning to the runway to continue its dirty taxi to the apron.
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There were at least 179 passengers aboard the Avian Express Airbus A320-200 during the incident following the two-hour flight, according to the outlet. No injuries were reported and the pilot regained control of the flight, but the plane reportedly suffered damage to its lower panels.
A spokesperson for Avion Express, the company that owns the aircraft, told Newsweek that the plane “slid off the landing runway after touchdown.”
“An investigation is currently underway, both by Avion Express and by the authorities, which will reveal what may have caused the incident,” Avion Express’ head of communications, Rolanda Lipneviciute, said. “The most important thing is that all the 179 passengers and six crew members are safe and have not suffered any injuries during the incident.”
The plane was still grounded at the airport at least six hours after landing, aviation news website Aviation Herald revealed. Photographs obtained by the outlet showed the plane’s fuselage taken out from underneath the aircraft. (RELATED: Plane Forced To Land On Major Road Minutes After Taking Off: REPORT)
The cause of what authorities are calling a “runway excursion” is unknown, and an investigation is underway. A summary of the incident was published on Aviation Herald.
“An Avion Express Airbus A320-200 […] from Milan Bergamo (Italy) to Vilnius (Lithuania), landed on Vilnius’ runway[…]but veered right off the runway onto soft ground, went across a turnoff and returned onto the runway centerline at about 5 knots (5.7 mph) over ground,” the summary read. “The aircraft subsequently vacated the runway via the next turn-off and taxied to the apron. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.”