The high-speed collision between a departing Tarom Boeing 737-300 and a vehicle on the runway at Bucharest on 30 December was captured on a passenger's video camera. The aircraft sustained serious damage and came to rest off the runway, but no injuries were reported.
The accident happened at Bucharest Henri Coanda Airport, when the the 737 was departing for the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh. Snow and fog were present at the time, and local reports state there were 120 passengers on board.
The video footage shown on Romanian television, apparently taken by a passenger seated on the right-hand side of the aircraft, shows the 737 (YR-BGC) experiencing a sudden impact or explosion about 25s into its take-off roll, and reports suggest that it was travelling at around 90kt (167km/h).
Images show the aircraft off the runway, with evacuation slides deployed and with its left-hand undercarriage collapsed and damag to its left CFM International CFM56 engine. Local reports cite Tarom director Gheorghe Barla saying that a vehicle had been unintentionally left on the runway after checks.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
