A GOL Boeing 737 MAX struck a vehicle during the takeoff phase tonight at Galeão International Airport in Rio de Janeiro.
The aircraft, a 737 MAX 8 registered as PS-GPP, was taking off from runway 10—one of the longest runways in the world at 4,000 meters—when, during the acceleration phase, it impacted an unidentified vehicle. Passengers on board reported hearing a loud bang, describing it as "a tire bursting," followed by a strong vibration, according to reports from our Brazilian media partner, AEROIN.
Flight G3 1674, bound for Fortaleza, Ceará, was abruptly interrupted. It is not yet clear at what speed the takeoff was aborted, but the captain informed passengers that they had collided with a vehicle, possibly an airport administration pickup truck or another type of service vehicle.
Airport firefighters responded immediately, applying fire retardant to prevent a potential fire. As of the publication of this report, the 737 MAX remains on the runway.
In a conversation recorded between the Boeing and the Galeão control tower, GOL pilots stated: "We aborted the takeoff, we hit a car in the middle of the runway, on 10."
The controller responded: "Confirm, was the car in the middle of the runway or exiting on Charlie Charlie?"
The pilots replied: "On the centerline of the runway, on the centerline of the runway, it collided."
In an official statement, RioGaleão, the company that manages Rio de Janeiro International Airport, reported that "there was an incident with no victims between a maintenance vehicle and an aircraft on one of the airport's runways on Tuesday night, around 10:00 PM. There are no injuries, and the passengers have already disembarked. The airport continues to operate normally for landings and takeoffs."
This is a developing story.
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