Investigation launched after plane got dangerously close to the sea after take off

KANIKA SINGH RATHORE,

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An investigation has been launched after a passenger plane left the airport sicily Turned dangerously close to the sea, triggering an emergency pull-up message.

The Air Arabia airbus a320 the plane had just taken off catania airport, on the east coast of Sicily, and was bound for Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan.

The plane took off at 9.57 pm on September 20 and started flying dangerously soon after take off To the Mediterranean Sea. The aircraft’s Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) went off and issued a pull-up message, alerting the pilots to what was happening.

The Italian aviation authority, ANSV, said the pull-up message “came a short distance away as the aircraft approached the sea surface”.

Following an initial review of information received from the operator, ANSV has now launched a safety investigation, classifying the incident as a “serious incident”.

In a statement released this week, they said the flight continued without further incident. There were no passengers on board, but two pilots and four cabin crew members were present.

The Air Arabia flight was carrying two pilots and four crew members. Image: An Air Arabia Airbus 320 airplane at Sharjah Airport, part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Air Arabia flight was carrying two pilots and four crew members. Image: An Air Arabia Airbus 320 airplane at Sharjah Airport, part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). ,AFP via Getty Images,

According to Italian news website Corriere Della SeraThe plane reached a terrifying altitude of 200 feet above the sea at a speed of more than 480 kilometers per hour.

The newspaper reported that this strange sequence occurred in good weather conditions.

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Two Airbus A320 captains interviewed by Italian media outlets said they were surprised that the plane had performed such a dangerous maneuver. One suggested that there might have been a bird strike or an error in calculating the takeoff weight.

A sailing boat is seen leaving the harbor in Catania, Sicily

A sailing boat is seen leaving the harbor in Catania, Sicily ,AFP via Getty Images,

A spokesperson for the Italian aviation authority ANSV said: “On 20 September 2025, at 21.57 UTC, shortly after takeoff from Catania Airport, an Air Arabia Airbus A320 aircraft, registration CN-NML, which was bound for Queen Alia International Airport (Jordan), received a Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) pull-up message. Received. This occurred as the aircraft approached the sea surface, reaching a short distance. This.

“The flight continued without incident. There were no passengers on board the aircraft and two pilots and four cabin crew members were present.”

“Following an initial review of information received from the operator, ANSV launched a safety investigation, classifying the incident as a serious incident.”

Uk