Crazy Late Takeoff From St. Maarten

Real World Aviation
1

Everyone probably knows about the famous and crazy low landings at St. Maarten (SXM) Airport.

image
image1351×653 390 KB

(Image by Fred BOUREAU)

Typically, landings and takeoff occur on Runway 10. However, aircraft will sometimes takeoff from Runway 28 heading towards Maho Beach. When aircraft takeoff from Runway 28, they’ll normally have sufficient runway left after it rotates.

image

Aeronews just posted some pictures of an World Atlantic Airlines MD-83 that departed St. Maarten yesterday on March 28. The takeoff from the runway was pretty late, to say the least.

image
image1585×641 456 KB

image
image1552×547 396 KB

image
image1366×547 303 KB

image
image1220×481 274 KB

Image credits to @AeronewsGlobal and Paul Ellinger.

Those four people on the beach probably had a fun time.

40 Likes
2

Whoaaaaa!!!
I’m out of likes though, sorry
take a trampoline to this beach lol

image
image1280×720 108 KB

9 Likes
3

Any lower and the people on the beach are screwed…

Good thing it was barely enough to not do anything.

4

Man that looks scary.

I think we need @TaipeiGuru and his investigative team on this one.

1 Like
5

You can see someone ducking in horror 😂

3 Likes
6

Yikes, any later and they would’ve been screwed…
Pretty cool though picture-wise

7

Why such a late rotation with nobody on the airplane lol

8

It may be carrying a lot of fuel, cargo, or other things.

You never know.

1 Like
9

I would have loved to be on that beach with that takeoff. Man, these people living the dream!

2 Likes
10

Oh boy… we’re taking a look now. The IFNTSB and the DSB are working in conjunction to find the cause of the incident. ;)

That is a crazy-late takeoff, though. I would kill to be on that beach during that moment…

1 Like
11

That’s a crazy late takeoff, yikes!

12

The fact that a Super heavy MD-80 takes off so much later than a Boeing 747 does at SXM is just personally insane 😅

13

That is super late! I’m very surprised that it even made it off the runway in the end.

Your post reminded me of a YouTube video from St. Maarten. The video’s taken from the beach and captures an MD-82 from Insel Air lifting off rather late into the sunset. It’s not as close as the aircraft but it was still cutting it. Here’s the video:

4 Likes
14

That MD-83 came to KCLT. World Atlantic Airlines Flight 700. Gorgeous landing.

15

You down to try this?

1 Like
16

Sure!

What time?

2 Likes
17

Tbh if that was me I wouldve been scared to death😂

18

Wow! That doesn’t look the safest…

1 Like
19

I guess the landing was the opposite of the takeoff, late takeoff, perfect landing.

20

Looks like it happened again, but the takeoff was a bit higher.

1 Like