Terrifying moment passenger plane with 179 passengers on board skids through mud after landing on icy runway in Lithuania
This is the moment a passenger plane carrying 179 passengers made a terrifying landing on a muddy runway after landing on ice in Lithuania.
Startling video showed a huge Airbus A320 careening across the tarmac after making a daring landing at Vilnius airport on Saturday after a two-hour journey from the Italian city of Bergamo.
The plane, owned by Lithuanian company Avion Express, was desperately trying to steady itself when an explosion of mud and water battered the plane, forcing the birds to scatter in a movie-like drama.
The plane's hero pilot responded quickly and was able to safely taxi the plane off the runway to a safe zone where all passengers and six crew members were able to disembark without reporting any injuries.
The plane suffered damage to its lower panels, Italian media reported, and the incident forced the airport to halt all incoming and outgoing flights for about two and a half hours on Saturday before reopening to air traffic.
The plane flew over the runway during an attempted landing in Vilnius last weekend
Massive explosion of mud leaves plane mired in mud after skidding on ice at Lithuania airport
The pilot's incredible calm got the plane back on course and left the drama behind
Photos of the aftermath showed the plane covered in mud from front to tail, against the backdrop of an icy forest landscape.
As it floats to the right, the left side of the plane absorbs much of the dirt, but the other side is covered in a thick layer of brown.
Cones were deployed and emergency vehicles were spotted around the runway after the plane landed.
The incident, which occurred around 2:20 p.m. on Saturday, forced the closure of runway 19 until 5:40 p.m. and briefly closed the airport, aviation news outlet FL360aero reports reported.
Instead, incoming flights were diverted to Kaunas and Palanga airports, both in Lithuania.
Avion Express confirmed to MailOnline today that flight NVD8242 'slid off the runway after landing'.
A spokesperson said an investigation by Avion Express and local authorities is “currently ongoing” to determine the exact cause of the incident.
“The most important thing is that all 179 passengers and our 6 crew members are safe and have not suffered any injuries during the incident.
“During the incident, the passengers were calm and followed the instructions of our crew members. We offer our sincere apologies and sincere support to everyone who was on board.”
The incident caused a stir on social media, with users commenting on the shocking images.
X user beerbaba wrote: 'A great landing for the passengers.'
Alvis Harding Jr said: 'I had no idea you could drift a 320.'
Linda Kavinsky commented: 'What a great recovery.'
Yves Constant said: 'Nice controlled sliding landing. I don't know how the passengers on board reacted [sickness emojis]. And [the] plane needs an airplane wash.'
In December, an easyJet flight from Gatwick, also with 179 people on board, came within 50 meters of a plane waiting to take off at Bordeaux airport in France, shocking onlookers.
The Airbus A320 was preparing to land at Bordeaux-Mérignac airport on New Year's Eve when, due to an air traffic control error, it was cleared to land while another plane was preparing to take off.
An investigation report into the incident cited several contributing factors, including a “significant reduction in staffing levels,” which resulted in one controller managing four stations simultaneously, “which could potentially lead to oversight.”
The investigation concluded that the DR400 pilot's “awareness and proactive action,” intercepting communications and alerting ATC, prevented the error from becoming a potentially devastating accident.
A shocking photo in the BEA report showed the approach of the huge A320 aircraft while the DR400 was still on the runway.
As traffic became 'very heavy', the controller then cleared the A320 to land, 'forgetting the presence of the DR400 on the threshold'.
'The DR400 pilot, having understood that the A320 was cleared to land while still at threshold 23, reported to the controller who immediately instructed the A320 to abort the approach.'
A bird flies away as the plane lands on the icy runway in Vilnius on Saturday
The plane eventually left the runway and all 179 passengers on board were able to disembark
The controller reportedly looked 'lost' when the Airbus requested guidance.
The plane, at an altitude of just 232 feet and 3,280 feet (1,000 meters) from the runway threshold, flew over the DR400 at an altitude of 178 feet, according to the report.
No injuries were reported in either incident.
MailOnline contacted Avion Express for comment.