Newly surfaced cellphone footage captured the moment when an LATAM Airlines flight sent passengers' heart rates skyrocketing after their plane skidded off the runway moments after landing in Florianopolis, Brazil.
The Wednesday incident occurred amidst heavy rain and an extra-tropical cyclone alert in the region. The aircraft, a 2014-built Airbus A321-231, skidded off the runway, causing the front half of the fuselage to go off-track.
All 172 passengers and seven crew members on board were safely evacuated and examined by medical personnel. Following the incident, LATAM Airlines Brasil announced that affected passengers could change their flights at no cost or request a full refund.
The recovery team successfully removed the aircraft from the runway on Thursday, leading to the reopening of Florianopolis International Airport, which serves as a hub for various airlines including Azul, GOL, Sky Airline, and LATAM, and operates an average of 41 flights per day, totaling 287 weekly departures. While primarily serving domestic routes, the airport also offers some international flights to destinations such as Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile.
An investigation into the incident is underway and being coordinated with the relevant authorities.