Passenger plane ‘takes off’ by itself after being blown away by 160 km/h winds at Argentina’s airport and crashing into stairs

This is the moment a passenger plane was blown away by 100mph winds at an Argentinian airport and crashed into a staircase.

Strong winds hit Buenos Aires’ Aeroparque Jorge Newbery airport on Sunday, as a severe storm gripped the region.

The Aerolineas Argentina Boeing 737-700 was blown down the runway towards the stairs used by passengers to board before colliding with it, causing it to fall to the ground as the plane turned sideways.

A staircase was then carried at high speed to the track workers’ vehicles.

Images showed part of the plane’s wing hitting a building on the runway.

The Aerolineas Argentinas Boeing 737-700 was blown down the runway towards the stairs used by passengers to board the plane before crashing into them, causing it to fall to the ground as the plane turned sideways.

The 17-year-old aircraft, registration LV-CAD, suffered damage and the next scheduled flight to Mendoza Governor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport on Sunday morning was canceled while it was on the ground for repairs.

In a statement, Aerolineas Argentinas said: “Aerolíneas Argentinas reports that due to the strong storm that has mainly affected Aeroparque’s activities, 100 flights have been canceled so far, and the same number have suffered delays and rescheduling.”

The company said they “may continue to make changes and/or cancellations for the remainder of the day, due to the impact caused by early morning weather conditions, as well as the periodic airport closures due to electrical activity.”

A severe electrical storm that hit Argentina this weekend killed at least 16 people in the country and neighboring Uruguay.

The Uruguayan Meteorological Agency said two people were killed when strong wind gusts arrived from the southeast early Sunday morning, according to a statement on the agency’s website.

The plane crashes on the stairs. Strong gusts of wind hit Buenos Aires’ Aeroparque Jorge Newbery airport on Sunday, as a severe storm gripped the region

A staircase was then carried at high speed to the track workers’ vehicles. Images showed part of the plane’s wing hitting a building on the runway

In Argentina, a woman died early Sunday after being struck by a falling tree branch in the town of Moreno, local media said.

Thirteen others were killed in the town of Bahia Blanca on Saturday after a wall collapsed during the storm.

Argentine President Javier Milei visited the scene of the accident on Sunday.

The storm’s powerful winds also downed trees and lampposts in the capital Buenos Aires.