A low-cost airline jetted towards the ocean at a speed of 300mph mere moments after departing. The Airbus A320 aircraft experienced a significant occurrence shortly after taking off from Catania Airport in Italy. The Air Arabia plane had left the airport on the island at 9:57 pm on September 20 when it received a “Ground Proximity Warning System pull-up message.”

The aircraft was en route to Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan when the incident occurred, according to a statement from the Italian aviation accident investigation agency. The agency noted that the pull-up message was triggered as the plane neared the sea surface, coming close to it.

Flight tracking platform Flightradar24 highlighted that such messages are crucial safety features in modern aircraft, intended to avert collisions with terrain or obstacles to prevent Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) accidents.

The aviation accident agency stated, “The flight proceeded without further issues. The aircraft had no passengers onboard, with two pilots and four cabin crew members present.”

Following an initial examination of the provided information, ANSV initiated a safety inquiry, categorizing the event as a serious incident. Reportedly, the plane approached about 200 feet from the sea at a speed just under 300mph, as per the Italian outlet la Repubblica Palermo.

There is uncertainty regarding the weather conditions at the time of the incident, as per the report. The flight successfully landed at approximately 2:52 am local time on September 21.

This incident follows other alarming occurrences involving aircraft. An easyJet plane narrowly avoided a collision with another airliner, coming within a 10ft proximity as it prepared for takeoff during heavy rain at France’s third busiest airport on Sunday, September 21, at 11:30 pm. French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot promptly ordered an investigation by the air accident investigation branch (BEA) into the incident.