LATAM Airlines Airbus A320 with 48 passengers onboard made an emergency landing at Foz do Iguaçu/Cataratas International Airport (IGU) in Brazil damaging the nose, engines, and windshield. Reports on social media said that the plane lost both engines while approaching Asunción, which led to the deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT). Paraguay’s national civil aviation authority (DINAC) will launch an investigation while Chile’s civil aviation authority will extend its participation in the investigation.
The flight was scheduled to travel from Santiago, Chile, to Asunción but had to be diverted due to bad weather. According to the airline, the weather eventually cleared enough for the flight to resume, but conditions deteriorated before the Airbus A320 landed again at its planned destination.
The flight was grounded in Foz de Iguaçu for about three hours, post which it departed again towards Paraguay. According to sources, the passengers were not allowed to get off the plane during those three hours.
"The weather conditions encountered during the flight impacted the plane’s mechanisms and damaged the exterior of the aircraft. For LATAM Airlines, the event that unfolded impacting the safety of the flight is considered serious," a statement from the airline said. "In accordance with aeronautical regulations, LATAM Airlines Paraguay is cooperating with the local authorities investigating the matter."
Thankfully, no fatalities or serious injuries were reported, but some passengers and crew members received medical attention upon landing, the airline added.