A hair-raising video of a Boeing 757-200 performing a dangerously low fly pass is going viral on social media. According to Simple Flying, the risky manoeuvre was performed by pilots flying ‘ARG 01’, a VVIP configured 757-200 that will be used to transport Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez.
The incident video was captured by onlookers at Aeroparque Internacional Jorge Newbery in Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires. It showed the aircraft levelled off very low over the runway, executing missed approach, before making a steep left turn. According to reports, the plane then circled back and returned for a full stop landing on the runway.
“Argentina’s new presidential plane, the 757, elegantly saves itself at the last moment,” a Twitter user wrote while sharing the video.
Take a look below:
🚨🇦🇷 Argentina's new presidential plane, the 757, elegantly saves itself at the last moment.#UkraineWar #Russia #messi pic.twitter.com/rMZ1trRHlE
— Eren 𝕮🇹🇷 (@Eren50855570) May 26, 2023
Retweeting the video, Flight Radar 24, an online site which tracks air traffic in real-time, wrote, “Putting the low in low pass as the Argentinian government 757 arrives in Buenos Aires for the first time”.
Since being shared, the video has taken the internet by storm. It has garnered mixed reactions online. While some users were impressed to see the pilots perform the manoeuvre, others questioned why the risky performance was necessary.
“Not an aviation expert, is this safe?” asked one user. “That honestly looks so cool, the sound of the engines throttling up right before the turn is amazing,” wrote another.
A third user said, “Dangerous, irresponsible, unnecessary manoeuvre. What if it went wrong?” while a fourth explained, “It is the new presidential plane of Argentina. The pilots are very well trained and able to perform this manoeuvre. It was a safe operation complying with all aviation safety regulations”.
Meanwhile, according to Simple Flying, the aircraft has a VIP configuration and can carry 39 passengers onboard. It also sports a master suite and two other bedrooms. The outlet reported that before its delivery to Argentina on May 25, ARG 01 was pre-positioned in Miami on May 19.