A Croatia Airlines flight bound for Germany made a dramatic emergency stop at Split Airport, veering off the runway and into the grass during an aborted takeoff roll.
SPLIT, Croatia — Flight OU412, a scheduled service from the coastal city of Split to Frankfurt on Saturday afternoon, was accelerating for departure on runway 23 at approximately 1:30 PM local time when the flight crew initiated a rejected takeoff.
According to airport officials and tracking data, the aircraft reached speeds of up to 131 knots before the crew pulled back power. For reasons still under investigation, the twin-engine jet drifted to the side during the deceleration phase, failing to maintain the centerline.
The plane eventually came to a halt with one side resting on the grassy area adjacent to the runway tarmac.
Damage and Evacuation
While a serious incident was avoided, the aircraft did not escape unscathed. Airport authorities confirmed that the plane sustained visible damage after colliding with a vertical marker board and several runway edge lights.
Following the standard emergency protocols, the flight crew safely secured the aircraft, and airport emergency personnel immediately assisted with a full evacuation. All 132 passengers and five crew members on board escaped without injury.
Airport Disruptions and Next Steps
The aircraft involved in the incident is an Airbus A220-300, bearing registration 9A-CAN. The state-of-the-art jet was freshly delivered to the national carrier in June 2025 as a flagship piece of Croatia Airlines’ ongoing fleet renewal program.
The runway excursion caused significant disruptions at Split Airport. Air traffic operations were temporarily suspended as technical crews worked to safely extract the disabled Airbus from the grassy overrun. Multiple inbound flights were forced to divert to alternative airports across the region, while scheduled departures faced heavy delays.
The Croatian Civil Aviation Agency, alongside the Air, Maritime and Railway Accident Investigation Agency, has been formally notified and will spearhead the investigation to determine what caused the aircraft to drift off the runway.
