.jpg)
A LATAM Brasil Boeing 777-300ER, registration PT-MUH, was operating flight LA8146 from São Paulo, Brazil, to Lisbon, Portugal when the flight crew performed a late and high-speed rejected takeoff on Sunday evening. Livestream video from the airport shows the aircraft beginning to rotate, its nose gear lifting off the runway, when the flight crew abruptly lowered the nose and initiated maximum braking, bringing the aircraft to a halt just before the end of runway 10L.
Data from FlightRadar24 suggests the aircraft had already passed V1, the critical decision speed beyond which a takeoff is normally continued because stopping may no longer be safe. The aircraft accelerated to approximately 178 knots (330km/h), a normal takeoff speed for a heavy 777, before the flight crew rejected the takeoff. Upon exiting the runway onto the taxiway, the aircraft’s brakes were seen glowing red, and multiple tires deflated, likely caused by fuse plugs melting to prevent brake fires. All 285 passengers and crew were safely disembarked from the aircraft with no injuries reported.
What might have caused the rejected takeoff?
While the official investigation by Brazil’s CENIPA is just beginning, aviation experts are already analysing the evidence. Crucially, video of the takeoff roll appears to show both engines operating normally with no obvious external issues, such as fire or significant debris were visible.
This leads to a plausible theory of a sudden critical system warning in the flight deck after V1. The most reasonable scenario is an engine overheat or fire indication which would convince the crew to abort the takeoff. This theory is supported by an unconfirmed passenger report that the pilot in command mentioned an engine overheat after the aircraft had come to a stop.
Why this rejected takeoff is so significant
While engine failures and other malfunctions after V1 are not uncommon, this incident is remarkable because the flight deck crew made the opposite decision by choosing to reject the takeoff at high speed. With a fully loaded aircraft, they intentionally went against standard operating procedures, accepting a considerable risk of a catastrophic high-speed runway overrun.
The aircraft came to a safe stop, a fact investigators will attribute to a combination of factors such as a long, dry runway, and what appears to have been immediate and expert application of maximum braking and reverse thrust by the flight crew. Had the runway been wet, contaminated, or significantly shorter, the outcome could have been different.
Not the first LATAM 777 takeoff incident
This high-speed rejected takeoff has some similarities to an unrelated incident in July 2024 when a LATAM 777 suffered a tail strike on departure from Milan Malpensa, Italy. A subsequent investigation revealed the incident was caused by a ground crew error that led to a 100-tonne discrepancy in the aircraft’s weight and balance calculations, resulting in incorrect V-speeds.
While aviation experts and investigation results show no sign that the incidents are linked, LATAM’s takeoff procedures will likely come under scrutiny following this latest incident.
Read more on this incident and LATAM’s safety rating HERE.
The investigation and its implications
All eyes will now be on Brazil’s CENIPA, which has launched a formal investigation into the incident. The recovery of the aircraft flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder will be a top priority. These systems, known as black boxes, hold vital information regarding the crew’s conversation, any aural warning, and the precise sequence of events.
The aircraft remains on the ground in São Paulo for a thorough inspection, disrupting LATAM’s 777 long-haul network. This incident, regardless of its final cause, serves as a serious real-world reminder of the immense physical forces during takeoff and the thin
Have questions or want to share your thoughts?
Sources:
