Shortly after 10:00 pm local time yesterday, an incident occurred at the "Antonio Carlos Jobim" airport in Rio de Janeiro-Galeão involving a Boeing -737 Max 8 aircraft (registration PS-GPP) of the Brazilian airline GOL. The pilot reported that while he was gaining speed on a 4,000-meter runway, his take-off run was hindered by a vehicle that appeared in the center of the asphalt strip, forcing him to brake sharply. The vehicle, belonging to the airport operator and used for maintenance operations, was improperly located on the runway despite a take-off procedure being in progress.

A post on "X" by RIOgaleão, the airport operator, said that fortunately no injuries were reported and that the incident had no impact on the airport's operations. Passengers and crew were evacuated and assisted, while GOL provided an extra flight to Fortaleza, the destination of the flight, for those who chose to continue their journey; those who opted to remain in Rio de Janeiro received full support in terms of accommodation, transportation and food. An internal investigation has been launched.

Attorney General Átila de Oliveira, who was on board, described the incident as follows: "The plane was about to take off when we felt a strong jolt and a sudden noise. The pilot began to brake immediately and, fortunately, we managed to stop in time to avoid even more serious consequences".

GOL has assured that all safety procedures have been strictly followed and has stated that the event will not have any repercussions on future flights. Furthermore, it has confirmed its willingness to collaborate with the Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) to investigate the causes of the episode and further improve safety standards, evaluating possible corrective measures that can prevent similar incidents from happening again in the future.

Below, in the video taken from Youtube, the captain's voice and the damage to the aircraft: