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An investigation has been launched after a passenger plane leaving an airport in Sicily veered dangerously close to the sea, triggering an emergency pull-up message.
The Air Arabia Airbus A320 plane had just taken off from Catania airport, on Sicily’s east coast, and was bound for Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan.
The plane left at 9.57pm on 20 September and shortly after take-off started flying dangerously close to the Mediterranean sea. The plane’s Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) went off and issued a pull-up message, alerting the pilots to what was happening.
The Italian aviation authority, ANSV, said the pull-up message “occurred as the aircraft approached the sea surface, reaching a short distance from it”.
ANSV has now launched a safety investigation, classifying the event as a “serious incident”, after a preliminary review of information from the operator.
In a statement issued this week, they said that the flight continued without further incident. There were no passengers on board, but two pilots and four cabin crew members were present.
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The Air Arabia flight was carrying two pilots and four crew members. Pictured: An Air Arabia Airbus 320 aeroplane at Sharjah airport, part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). (AFP via Getty Images)
According to Italian news website Corriere Della Sera, the plane reached a terrifying 200ft above the sea at a speed of over 480 kilometres per hour.
The bizarre sequence occurred in good weather conditions, the paper reported.
Two Airbus A320 captains interviewed by the Italian media outlet said they were surprised that the plane had made such a dangerous manoeuvre. One suggested that there could have been a bird strike or an error in calculating the takeoff weights.
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A sail boat is seen leaving the harbour in Catania, Sicily (AFP via Getty Images)
A spokesperson for Italian aviation authority ANSV said: “On 20 September 2025, at 21.57 UTC, shortly after takeoff from Catania Airport, an Air Arabia Airbus A320 aircraft, registration CN-NML, bound for Queen Alia International Airport (Jordan), received a Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) pull-up message. This occurred as the aircraft approached the sea surface, reaching a short distance from it.
“The flight continued without further incident. There were no passengers on board, and two pilots and four cabin crew members were present.
“After a preliminary review of the information received from the operator, ANSV opened a safety investigation, classifying the event as a serious incident.”
