A Marathon Airlines E195 operating for AirSerbia struck the ILS array for runway 12R while departing Belgrade’s runway 30L. The aircraft returned safely to Belgrade shortly after departure.
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The video below shows the damage to OY-GDC, a 15 year old E195. The aircraft is operated by Marathon Airlines, but wears the AirSerbia livery.
1/ 🎥 PE SCURT: un Embraer E195 Marathon Airlines care opera în seara zilei de duminică, 18 februarie 2024, zborul Air Serbia JU324 Belgrad – Dusseldorf s-a întors pe aeroportul din capitala Serbiei din cauza unei probleme tehnice. pic.twitter.com/xrfnPK9QYz
— Gabriel Bobon (BoardingPass) (@GabrielBobon) February 18, 2024
Flight JU324 lined up on Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla Airport runway 30L at 16:38 UTC on one of the intersecting taxiways more than half way down the runway (see image below). The aircraft began its departure roll shortly after, becoming airborne at 16:39 UTC. During its departure, the aircraft’s left side was severely damaged when it struck the opposing runway’s instrument landing system array. A long gash down the side of the aircraft as well as damage to the wing root (where the wing meets the body of the aircraft) are visible.
JU324 entered holding holding near Belgrade shortly after take off and spent just less than 60 minutes in the air. The flight landing on runway 30L (the same runway it departed) at 17:36 UTC.
Following the accident, runway 12R’s instrument landing category has been downgraded from Category III to Category I. Runway 12R/30L is the airport’s second and newest runway, having just opened in July 2023.
Investigative update — August 2025
Serbian investigators released their final report on the incident, finding that the crew’s actions and multiple missed opportunities for corrections led to the aircraft departing from the wrong intersection without enough available runway.
The aircraft lined up at the wrong intersection, even after a warning from air traffic control. When recomputing take off performance, the crew used incorrect and conflicting figures, erroneously determining that they had enough runway to take off. One the take off roll began, the pilots did not apply take off/go around thrust, instead using a derated thrust setting, ensuring that the aircraft would not leave the ground before the end of the runway.
