At Peru’s main airport; Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chávez (LIM), an a320neo for LATAM Airlines, yesterday (the 18th of November) collided with a truck on the runway. Videos of the A320neo have been posted online, showing that engine 2 caught fire. There were no casualties on board, according to LATAM Airlines and Lima Airport Partners. Sadly, two firefighters lost their lives.

According to FlightRadar24.com, the A320neo, registered as CC-BHB, operating flight LA2213, a domestic flight from Lima to Juliaca, appears to have pushed back from the gate around 19:50 UTC, the aircraft gets on the runway at 20:10 and started to roll out for takeoff when it abruptly stops. The aircraft was traveling at 127 knots at the time of the incident, according to FR24’s ADS-B data (you can view the ADS-B data from here).

As it appears in the videos, many airport emergency trucks crossed the runway at Lima Airport exactly as LATAM’s plane was preparing to take off. The crew wasn’t able to stop the aircraft, and it slammed into one of the trucks. As a result, the gear collapsed and the right engine and wing caught fire.

Following the incident, Lima Airport Partners posted on social media that all operations at Peru’s most significant airport had been suspended due to the runway being closed until Saturday, November 19, 13:00 local time. “All activities are suspended,” the airport administration added. Four planes, including Copa Airlines’ CM131 to Pisco Airport (PIO), LATAM Airlines’ LA2385 to Chiclayo Airport (CIX), LATAM’s LA2122 to PIO, and LATAM’s LA2414 to Arequipa Airport (AQP), were diverted to different airports, according to FlightRadar data. The airport’s closure will affect at least 76 departing flights.

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