What began as a routine takeoff turned into one of the most terrifying moments an aircraft can face.

Passengers had just fastened their seatbelts.
The lights dimmed, the engines hummed, and everything felt normal — until it didn’t.

A strange smell drifted through the cabin.
Then the smoke appeared.

At first it was faint, almost like a mist.
Then it thickened.
People started coughing, shouting, pressing flight attendant buttons that didn’t matter anymore.

Someone yelled, “LOOK OUT THE WINDOW!”

Flames.

Actual flames — bright, violent bursts glowing under the wing.

The aircraft was still on the ground, engines spinning, nobody understanding whether they were seconds away from exploding.
Parents grabbed their children.
Rows erupted into panic.
One flight attendant’s voice cracked as she tried to stay calm.

And only then did the captain break the tension:

“EVACUATE. EVACUATE NOW.”

That’s when everything turned into chaos.

The doors swung open.
Slides deployed.
People threw themselves down the ramps, stumbling, rolling, running barefoot across the tarmac.
Some cried.
Some prayed.
Some didn’t look back at all.

Only after everyone made it off the aircraft — all 180 passengers — did officials confirm where this nightmare had just unfolded:

 It happened on the runway of one of Brazil’s busiest airports.
 The aircraft was an Airbus A320 operated by LATAM.
 And yes — it was seconds away from a catastrophe.

According to early reports, a fire erupted under the wing during takeoff prep, sending smoke into the cabin almost instantly. The crew reacted at lightning speed, avoiding what experts say could have been a mass-casualty disaster.

No injuries have been reported, but investigators say the situation was “one spark away” from something far worse.

As more details emerge, one question remains:

How does a fully loaded passenger plane catch fire before even leaving the ground?

Stay tuned — this story is only getting started.