This is the terrifying moment a cargo plane crashed into an airport antenna while taking off, forcing it to make an emergency landing.
Video footage showed a Boeing 727-200 aircraft, operated by cargo airline Aerosucre, crashing into the Instrument Landing System (ILS) at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia’s capital.
The ILS, which is used to assist pilots during landings and takeoffs at night and in bad weather, was pulverized 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 more than an hour.
The pilot flew over the areas of Tocancipá, Zipaquirá and Sesquilé to burn fuel and reduce weight so that the cargo plane could return to El Dorado.
The Boeing 727-200 aircraft 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 assist pilots during landings and takeoffs at night and in bad weather, was pulverized after the plane crashed into it.
Despite the impact, the pilot managed to gain altitude and remain in flight for more than an hour.
It took off and circled in the air over the travel center for an hour.
No additional damage or injuries to the crew were reported.
The plane landed safely around 5:42 p.m.
No additional damage or injuries to the crew were reported.
The Colombian Civil Aviation Authority described the incident as “serious” and immediately launched an investigation.
A spokesman said: ‘The plane completed its take-off, consumed fuel mid-air and landed without further incident on the south runway of the same airport at 5.42pm.
‘The Accident Investigation Technical Directorate is investigating all the factors associated with this serious incident, including the airline’s planning, with the aim of identifying the causes and formulating recommendations that help prevent future incidents.’
A technical team also evaluated the damage to the ILS and its impact on airport operations, as reported
To make matters worse, the Department of Civil Aeronautics announced that harsh weather conditions had caused delays on multiple flights across the country at 5:37 p.m.
Airlines such as Avianca, Turkish Airlines and Iberia were forced to cancel multiple flights due to weather conditions and ILS damage.