The Craziest Video From St. Maarten You've Never Seen

April 07, 2017

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2 min read

The Craziest Video From St. Maarten You've Never Seen

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Typically, the most exciting videos from St. Maarten (SXM) are of low landings or loud takeoffs that feature precarious passes over Maho Beach and thrill-seekers daring to challenge the jet blast of departing flights. Sometimes, on rarer occasions, winds at the airport will shift, and flights will actually take off toward the beach. Much like landings that fly low over the beach, takeoffs are loud, up close and personal, and sometimes, they become just a little too intimate.

In this crazy aviation video, watch a spectacular (and rather terrifying) departure out of SXM that rivals some of the craziest videos we've shared. We'll let the video speak for itself, but this Fokker flight uses practically every inch of the runway before lifting off the ground, barely clearing the airport's perimeter fence and the beachgoers watching just feet away. Perhaps it's just the angle, but it actually looks like the plane's landing gear came perilously close to taking out onlookers who duck for cover as the airplane passes above. We don't know the full story, but the plane may have been heavier than pilots realized, or perhaps they performed a shortened takeoff — or it may be a combination of the two. Thankfully, no one was hurt by this high-stakes takeoff.