One of the largest passenger airplanes in the world flew for nearly 14 hours with a gaping hole in its side that wasn't discovered until the aircraft landed in Australia.
The incident happened aboard an Emirates Airbus A380 that was traveling from Dubai to Brisbane on July 1.
About 45 minutes into the flight, crew and passengers reportedly heard a loud bang. Pilots assumed a tire had blown and contacted the Brisbane airport to request emergency services on standby during landing, according to The Aviation Herald.
Andrew Morris, a passenger on the flight, described the experience as "terrifying."
"Was absolutely terrifying at first and the cabin crew knew something serious may have happened - were immediately in contact with the cockpit," Morris wrote on Twitter. "Shortly after, they resumed as normal. Their calm demeanour was reassuring - they knew it was not catastrophic."
The plane landed safely and it was apparent what caused the loud bang reportedly heard after takeoff: A giant hole was discovered in the side of the aircraft, which also had a ruptured tire.
The airline later determined that the aircraft experienced a "technical fault" at some point during the flight.
"One of the aircraft's 22 tires ruptured during cruise, causing damage to a small portion of the aerodynamic fairing, which is an outer panel or the skin of the aircraft," Emirates said in a statement to the Independent. "At no point did it have any impact on the fuselage, frame or structure of the aircraft."
The airline went on to say the plane has since been repaired and cleared by all relevant authorities, adding that the safety of its passengers and crew is always a "top priority."
The Airbus A380 is the world's biggest passenger plane, featuring a two-deck widebody cabin with a seating capacity of 853. Airbus ceased production of the A380 in 2021 due to low demand.
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