On Saturday, a flight carrying 179 passengers swerved off the runway before re-entering the same airstrip to taxi to the gate in Vilnius, Lithuania.
The incident happened with an Avion Express Airbus A320, which had come from Milan Bergamo Airport in Italy. Lithuania's Vilnius International Airport was forced to suspend all incoming and outgoing flights temporarily when Flight X98242 skidded off the runway and entered the muddy and soft ground, according to reports in the media.
However, the pilot handled the situation well and since the thrust reversers were still active, the aircraft was able to return to the tarmac and make it to the gate. The plane was "very muddy and dirty "when it reached the terminal, according to the pictures circulating on social media.
A video posted by Aviation Safety Network (ASN) on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, shows the dramatic scene when the Avion Express Airbus is skidding off Vilnius' runway 19, scattering mud and dirt everywhere on the all-white plane.
A video shows the Avion Express Airbus A320 after it veered off the runway on landing at Vilnius:pic.twitter.com/tu3bMTsehD
— Aviation Safety Network (ASN) (@AviationSafety) February 4, 2024
The Avion Express plane was eventually grounded at Vilnius airport as some damage to the jet was noticed. The flight had six crew members, apart from the 179 passengers. The cabin crew informed the airport management that no one was injured and the plane continued to the parking area where the passengers deboarded.
It has also been reported that a few other flights coming to land in Vilnius before the incident had a narrow escape. AirBaltic flight BT1020 from Gran Canaria managed to land ahead of time, just before the Avion Express episode. One flight, the SAS SK1742 from Copenhagen, got diverted to Palanga Airport, another airport in Lithuania.
Avion Express is a Lithuanian charter airline which also operates lease flights on behalf of other well-known carriers, including the likes of British Airways and Eurowings.
Last month, another flight-related disturbance took place. A passenger opened a grounded plane's emergency exit door and walked out onto the wing. The incident occurred on Jan. 25 at Mexico City International Airport while an Aeromexico flight was delayed for hours.
The man was eventually taken into police custody, even though he received full support from his fellow passengers.
The man supposedly did so as a protest because Aeromexico made the passengers wait for over four overs without ventilation or water while the flight was stuck at the airport, according to a letter co-signed by the passengers against the airline. At least 77 passengers were believed to be on board the Aeromexico flight at the time of the incident.
