On 4th May 2023, a Boliviana Boeing 737 sustained considerable damage to its left wing and cabin during a hard landing at Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport.
The Boeing 737-800 with registration CP-2181 was performing flight OB736 from Santa Cruz to Sao Paulo, Brazil. However, the B737 suffered a hard landing on runway 09R at Sao Paulo. As a result, the left wing’s wingtip broke off and some interior panels, including seats and parts of the roof, fell off their place.
A passenger on board the flight recorded a video in which the landing was described as “terrible” and one that “almost cost everyone their lives.”
The situation inside the plane was said to be chaotic, and many passengers left the plane scared. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the passengers and crew.
Another passenger who witnessed the incident commented that the plane landed with great force, which caused damage to its left wing and interior panels. He further stated that the airline explained to them that the incident was due to the plane hitting something on landing, but they did not give any further details.
This incident comes just weeks after several other incidents involving the flag carrier of Bolivia. One of the flights supposed to depart from Tarija returned to the gate after the sudden braking of the aircraft, while another plane had to return for technical reasons because it couldn’t land in Cobija last month.
The Bolivian aviation authorities have reportedly launched an investigation into the incident. The airline has not yet issued any official statement regarding the incident.
Feature Image via JACDEC (Twitter)