This is the terrifying moment a cargo plane smashed into an airport antenna as it took off, forcing it into an emergency landing.
Video footage showed a Boeing 727-200 plane, operated by the cargo airline Aerosucre, smashing into the Instrument Landing System (ILS) at El Dorado International Airport in the Colombian capital Bogotá.
The ILS, which is used to aid pilots during landings and takeoffs at night and bad weather, was seen pulverised after the plane crashed into it.
The Boeing was heading from Colombia to Valencia, in Spain.
Despite the impact, the pilot managed to gain altitude and remain in flight for over an hour.
The pilot circled the areas of Tocancipá, Zipaquirá and Sesquilé to burn fuel and reduce weight so the cargo plane could return to El Dorado.
The Boeing 727-200 plane was operated by the cargo airline Aerosucre
It crashed into the Instrument Landing System (ILS) at El Dorado International Airport in the Colombian capital Bogotá
The ILS, which is used to aid pilots during landings and takeoffs at night and bad weather, was seen pulverised after the plane crashed into it
Despite the impact, the pilot managed to gain altitude and remain in flight for over an hour
It took off an circled the air above the travel hub for an hour
No additional damage or injuries were reported among the crew
The aircraft landed safely at around 5.42pm.
No additional damage or injuries were reported among the crew.
The Colombian Civil Aviation Authority referred to the incident as ‘serious’ and immediately launched an investigation.
A spokesperson said: ‘The plane completed its takeoff, consumed fuel in the air, and landed without further incident on the south runway of the same airport at 5.42 pm.
‘The Technical Directorate of Accident Investigation is looking into all the factors associated with this serious incident, including the airline’s planning, with the aim of identifying the causes and formulating recommendations that will help prevent future incidents.’
A technical team also assessed the damage to the ILS and its impact on airport operations, as reported by
To make matters worse, the Civil Aeronautics Department announced that harsh weather conditions had caused delays to multiple flights across the country at 5.37pm.
Airlines such as Avianca, Turkish Airlines, and Iberia were forced to cancel multiple flights due to weather conditions and the damaged ILS.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
