A budget airline jet almost dived into the sea at 300mph just moments after taking off from an Italian holiday island.
Eleven seconds after takeoff from Catania Airport, an Airbus A320 operated by Air Arabia lost altitude and fell through the air, falling to less than 200ft above the water.
The plane then managed to quickly regain altitude and continued the flight from Catania, the second largest city on the Italian island of Sicily.
The Italian National Agency for Flight Safety (ANSV) has opened an investigation into the ‘serious incident’.
It’s currently unclear why the jet, which had no passengers, two pilots, and four flight attendants on board, operated in such an usual way and at the excessive speed.
The plane was on its way to Amman, the capital of Jordan.
Shortly after takeoff, the ANSV reported that a Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) pull-up message was activated, according to Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera.
The GPWS issues alarms when there is a risk of a dangerous collision between the plane and terrain.
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[FILE PHOTO] Eleven seconds after takeoff from Catania Airport, an Airbus A320 operated by Air Arabia lost altitude and fell through the air, falling to less than 200ft above the water
‘This occurred as the aircraft approached the sea surface, to within a short distance,’ the agency continued.
The incident occurred at 11.57pm on September 20, when the plane began an unexpected descent, reaching dangerously close to the water in good weather conditions.
The situation was immediately considered dangerous but quickly resolved, and the flight reached its destination at 2.52am Italian time with no further incident, according to ANSV.
The agency said it opened an investigation ‘after a preliminary review of the information received from the operator’.
Pilots will be required to recount details of their version of events, which will be cross-referenced with data from onboard systems.
Possible explanations for the incident include an error in calculating the takeoff weights or a faulty maneuver by the pilots.
