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A commercial jet was forced to make an emergency landing after a hole was punched into its fuselage after striking a set of runway lights during take off.
Air Serbia flight JU324, which was traveling from Belgrade to Düsseldorf, Germany, was airborne for about 60 minutes after the initial crash, Serbian aviation news outlet Tango Six reported via Business Insider. The plane was reported to be rolling for take off with about 4,260 feet of space for acceleration, a shorter distance than typically taken.
The bottom of the plane's fuselage hit a set of lights on an opposite runway, but remained airborne for about an hour before making an emergency landing back at Belgrade significantly faster than usual, which is suspected to have been caused by its flaps not working. The plane was reported to be moving at 164 knots when it landed on the ground, 39 knots faster than the average landing speed of about 125, according to data from FlightRadar24.
Footage shared online showed significant damage, including the large hole in the fuselage, as well as parts of the plane's body shorn off from where its left wing was attached. Air Serbia said no one aboard the flight experienced serious injuries, though it wasn't immediately clear how many passengers were on the plane at the time.