Passengers aboard a flight to Copenhagen from Brussels Airport on Thursday evening were evacuated after the pilot mistakenly attempted to take off from a taxiway instead of a runway.
The incident occurred on a Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight departing from Zaventem airport at 21:54. The pilot had initiated take-off on the taxiway, which is solely designated for moving aircraft between the terminal and the runway.
The plane was brought to a halt before taking off, and all 165 passengers were evacuated, a Brussels Airport spokesperson confirmed to Het Nieuwsblad.
The plane gained a speed of more than 200 kilometres per hour on the taxiway. Fortunately, the crew was still able to bring the Airbus A320neo to a stop in time and safely.
An aviation expert, Luke De Wild, told Het Nieuwsblad that the plane has nearly reached a point of "no return."
According to De Wild, it would take 3 to 4 seconds before the plane reached the 270 to 280 kilometres per hour speed, from which it has to take off. In this case, the plane could enter a side road and crash into an obstacle, as the taxi lane is too short for that.
Passengers were unable to travel to Copenhagen that evening, but the airline contacted them to arrange an alternative solution, according to a Brussels Airport spokesperson.
Psychological support was also provided to passengers and crew following the incident, Brussels Airport confirmed.
Air traffic controller Skeyes announced that an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the incident.
