A Marathon Embraer ERJ-195 on behalf of Air Serbia made an emergency landing in Belgrade, Serbia, after colliding with ‘airport infrastructure’ during takeoff.

“Air Serbia Embraer E195LR aircraft (OY-GDC) returned back to Belgrade (BEG) after it hit an airport infra (landing instrument) while operating flight JU324 Belgrade – Dusseldorf on the evening of Sunday, February 18, 2024,” FL360aero, an aviation news page, wrote on X.

According to The Aviation Herald, the airplane “overran the end of the runway before becoming airborne.”

From The Aviation Herald:

Following a collision with some part of the airport infrastructure the aircraft became airborne about 1100 meters/3600 feet past the runway end, climbed through 50 feet AGL about 2600 meters/8500 feet past the runway end, stopped the climb at 4000 feet, burned off fuel and returned to Belgrade for a landing on runway 30L without further incident about 55 minutes after departure. There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained substantial damage.

“Passengers reported immediately after takeoff something broke, the aircraft shook, they then entered a holding for about an hour before returning to land at Belgrade. They were quickly escorted off the aircraft, they weren’t told anything except it was a minor incident, however, they could see something had broken off the left wing,” The Aviation Herald noted.

Per Flightradar24:

Flight JU324 lined up on Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla Airport runway 30L at 16:38 UTC on one of the intersecting taxiways more than half way down the runway (see image below). The aircraft began its departure roll shortly after, becoming airborne at 16:39 UTC. During its departure, the aircraft’s left side was severely damaged when it struck the opposing runway’s instrument landing system array. A long gash down the side of the aircraft as well as damage to the wing root (where the wing meets the body of the aircraft) are visible.

JU324 entered holding holding near Belgrade shortly after take off and spent just less than 60 minutes in the air. The flight landing on runway 30L (the same runway it departed) at 17:36 UTC.

Following the accident, runway 12R’s instrument landing category has been downgraded from Category III to Category I. Runway 12R/30L is the airport’s second and newest runway, having just opened in July 2023.

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