Air Serbia's Embraer E195 exceeds runway limits on takeoff and suffers damage

An Air Serbia Embraer E195 regional jet suffered a frightening accident on Sunday, February 18 at Belgrade Airport, Serbia.

The aircraft was taking off for Dusseldorf, Germany, on flight JU324 when it reportedly hit an approach approach mast after exceeding the runway limits.

There was significant damage to the left wing root and the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer, but the jet managed to take off and flew for around 40 minutes before returning to Belgrade.

Air Serbia E195 — Damage on the horizontal stabilizer (Social media)

The circumstances of the accident were not yet clear, but indicated that the E195 with registration number OY-GDC had accessed runway 30L through the wrong intersection, already in the middle of the runway.

The aircraft then ended up suffering a runway excursion, but managed to leave the ground. There were no injuries among passengers or crew.

Nikola Tesla Belgrade Airport is undergoing runway expansion, with the construction of a new runway between the old runway and the taxiway.

Air Serbia became the operator of the E195 in 2023 when it leased four second-hand aircraft, all of which were transferred by Marathon Airlines, from Greece.

The E195 OY-GDC was originally delivered to Flybe in August 2008 and has flown with several other airlines, including Great Dane Airlines and Bamboo Airways.