A passenger plane tail hit the tarmac during take-off forcing the pilot to abort the flight.
The pilot had to dump fuel and return to the airport after the blunder.
Footage shows how the rear of the fuselage skidded along the tarmac, leaving a trail of smoke on the runway.
The Boeing 777-300 took to the skies above Milan Malpensa Airport, Italy, on Tuesday (9 Jul).
It was bound for São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport, Brazil, as reported on Need To Know.
But LATAM flight LA 8073 had to return to Malpensa after circling and burning fuel due to the damage caused.
Passenger Urias Carlos Marques from Goiás, Brazil, told Brazilian media: “We were at the back of the plane and heard a loud noise.
“I even joked with my friend saying we had hit a speed bump.
“The plane stayed in the air for about 40 minutes, circling and dumping fuel.”
When the flight landed at Malpensa, the passengers disembarked normally and the aircraft was grounded to be inspected for structural damage.
Marques said LATAM put him, his wife, and their pals up in a local hotel for the night.
The airline booked them onto another flight to São Paulo via Frankfurt, Germany, the following day.
It’s not clear what caused Tuesday’s tail strike.
However, common causes of tail strikes during take-off include taking off too late, piloting technique error, wind, wind shear, and turbulence.
Common causes also include improper weight and balance information, data-entry errors in aircraft flight management systems, and abnormal aircraft configuration.
Risks of tail strikes during take-off include loss of control in flight, overshooting the runway, and mechanical issues in flight.
The airline said in a statement: “LATAM announces that flight LA8073, Milan-Guarulhos, on Tuesday 9 July had to return to its origin and was cancelled after the rear of the aircraft made contact with the runway during take-off.
“The landing proceeded normally, safely, and without incident. All necessary assistance is being provided to passengers, who will be rebooked on LATAM flights and those of other airlines.
“LATAM regrets the inconvenience caused to passengers and emphasises that all decisions are made to ensure everyone’s safety.”
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