Boeing 777's harrowing takeoff: Latam flight sparks panic at Milan airport
Dramatic footage of Milan Airport shows a Boeing 777, owned by the Chilean airline Latam, struggling during takeoff. At one point, smoke appears, but the plane ultimately lifts off the ground. However, it had to return to the airport swiftly after that.
Terror struck at Milan Airport. The incident occurred on Tuesday during the takeoff of a Boeing 777 from the Chilean airline Latam. The aircraft couldn't achieve lift-off, causing its tail to scrape the runway. Passengers on board the Sao Paulo-bound plane reported seeing sparks flying from underneath.
Footage from the incident shows smoke trailing behind the plane. The "Daily Mail" notes that although the pilots managed to lift the aircraft, a decision was made to return to the airport. The Chilean airline's Boeing landed safely after circling the airport nine times.
Local media reported that the plane was grounded following the landing. Italian authorities are investigating the incident and continually contacting American and Brazilian counterparts. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported.
These are not Boeing's first problems
Boeing has been under scrutiny due to serious faults in the Boeing 737 MAX, which led to crashes in Indonesia in October 2018 and Ethiopia in March 2019. In both crashes, 346 people lost their lives. In each case, faulty sensors and software errors caused the plane's nose to pitch downwards, leading to the tragedies automatically.
The aviation giant has agreed to a settlement with the US Department of Justice. Boeing will pay a fine of $243.6 million for admitting to fraud. As the "Daily Mail" points out, the settlement also requires the company to invest at least $455 million in safety improvements.
The families of the victims have protested against the settlement. Their representatives have announced plans to urge the judge to reject the agreement, although this does not guarantee a criminal trial. According to the families, only such a trial could prove that Boeing's authorities were aware of the defects and intentionally deceived the Federal Aviation Administration.
