A West Atlantic Boeing 737 freighter overshot the runway at Montpellier Airport and partially submerged into a lake nearby in the early hours on September 24, 2022.
Three crew members were onboard but escaped the incident unharmed, the local authority revealed in a statement.
The aircraft, registered as EC-NLS, is leased by SwiftAir, but at the time of the incident was operating a flight on behalf of West Atlantic.
The flight SWN5745 took off from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and reached Montpellier Mediterranee Airport (MPL) in southern France at approximately 02:50 local time.
Upon landing, the aircraft overran the end of the runway and reached a lake nearby. The nose gear landed in the water, while the rest of the fuselage remained on the ground.
Accident du @BoeingFrance #737 immatriculé EC-NLS exploité par #WestAtlantic / sortie de piste pendant atterrissage survenue le 24/09/22 à l’aéroport de @mplaeroport / 4 enquêteurs @BEA_Aero sur place / ouverture d’une enquête de sécurité. pic.twitter.com/H76U3BbRxk
— BEA (@BEA_Aero) September 24, 2022
Montpellier Airport was closed following the incident until the aircraft is removed. All arriving and departing commercial flights were cancelled or diverted for the rest of the day.
“A technical incident prevents normal operation,” the airport’s announcement reads. “Passengers and those accompanying them are advised not to go to the airport until operations are possible. We encourage them to contact their airline and check the flight status in real time. Thank you for your understanding.”
Fermeture de l’aéroport de Montpellier jusqu’à nouvel ordre : un incident technique empêche l’exploitation de se dérouler normalement. Nous invitons les passagers et leurs accompagnants à ne pas se rendre à l’aéroport. Merci de votre compréhension. https://t.co/ScpB6U8zlp pic.twitter.com/OmmmHRUVqg
— Aéroport Montpellier (@MPLaeroport) September 24, 2022
French Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses pour la Sécurité de l’Aviation civile (BEA) is at the scene and has opened an investigation.
Cette nuit un avion de fret en phase d’atterrissage à l’aéroport de #Montpellier est sorti de la piste.
Pas de blessé.
L’aéroport de Montpellier @MPLaeroport est fermé pour une durée indéterminée aux vols commerciaux et aux vols de fret.
Communiqué de presse pic.twitter.com/jej7aVd2Wl— Préfet de l’Hérault (@Prefet34) September 24, 2022
