(OurNationNews.com) Boeing aircraft can’t seem to get a break. Another aircraft from the U.S. plane manufacturer figured in another accident, this time a tail strike that occurred at the Milan Malpensa Airport in Italy that saw a LATAM Airlines Boeing 777-300 strike its tail on the runway just before it launched into the air.
Fortunately, the aircraft was able to land back at the airport, but not after conducting a harrowing one-hour circling, or hold pattern, around the airport at 6,000 feet.
The plane was reportedly bound for Sao Paulo, Brazil, with officials attributing the accident to a “malfunction.” The incident was caught on video, which shows part of the aircraft’s tail scraping along the runway after the plane experienced the said malfunction which in turn caused the tail to dip further down than it should have upon takeoff. The video also shows the plane’s belly barely clearing the ground at takeoff – thanks to the maneuvering of the pilots who employed maximum thrust on both engines that allowed the plane to leave the ground instead of crashing into it. It was after takeoff that the pilots put in the request to return to the airport so the plane could be inspected. Thankfully, there were no further incidents during landing and taxiing once the plane was one the ground again.
There were also no injuries or casualties as a result of the incident. Aviation experts also lauded the pilots for their quick thinking that prevented what would likely would have been a much more catastrophic incident as well as for their skill in keeping the aircraft on a hold pattern despite the damage to the tail.
The aircraft, which suffered from “extensive damage” has since been grounded and is undergoing inspection and repairs. An investigation into the incident is also underway, headed by the National Agency for Flight Safety of Italy. The agency said that it has also been coordinating with its counterparts in Brazil and the U.S.
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