Passengers escape down emergency slides after plane's landing gear collapses

Panicked passengers slid down emergency chutes to safety after a Tez Jet plane’s landing gear dramatically collapsed during take-off in Kyrgyzstan. Heart-stopping footage captured the terrifying moment the MD-83 aircraft tilted sharply onto its side amid screams echoing through the cabin at Manas International Airport in Bishkek. The drama unfolded on Tuesday, July 7, as the twin-engine jet, operating a domestic flight to Osh, began its acceleration down the runway.

According to initial reports, the left rear landing gear suddenly gave way just as the plane was due to lift off. The pilots, sensing the malfunction while the aircraft was still accelerating relatively slowly, managed to bring it to a controlled stop. However, the sudden collapse caused the plane to lurch violently, with the left wing digging into the tarmac and the lower empennage — the entire tail section — ripping completely off. Jet fuel began spilling across the runway, creating an immediate hazard.

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