A FLIGHT carrying holidaymakers nearly ended in disaster after clearing the runway.
The TUI Boeing 737-800 jetted off from Bristol Airport with 163 passengers and nine crew onboard despite a major glitch which meant it was only a few feet above a busy A-road.
Embarking on its journey to Gran Canaria on March 4, the 15-year-old jet took off with not enough power thanks to a terrifying system error.
It was able to make a height of just 10 feet with only 260 metres of the 1.2-mile runway left.
At the speed it was travelling, the flight would have dramatically run out of tarmac in just three seconds if it hadn't climbed.
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Moments later, the passenger carrier flew above the nearby A38 at less than 100 feet - looming over commuters.
A report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch of the Department of Transport (AAIB) found that Boeing were aware of the software glitch before the incident, reports MailOnline.
Describing the event as "serious", the report reads: "A Boeing 737-800 completed a takeoff from Runway 09 at Bristol Airport with insufficient thrust to meet regulated performance."
It was found that aircraft's autothrottle system disengaged twice when the pilot and co selected takeoff mode.
Aviation experts have said any aircraft taking off with insufficient power and thrust could result in the jet plummeting to the ground.
Any normal takeoff would need a reading of 92.8pc thrust but the jet only reached 84.5pc.
Neither of the two pilots noticed the near-fatal lack of power.
Data shows there were 11 errors, much of which were all to do with the autothrottle system.
A stark warning has now been issued to airlines using the plane series.
It comes after strong winds have rattled flights recently - with one incident killing a Brit granddad.
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Intense turbulence on a Singapore Airlines Boeing saw the flight plunge 7,000ft in just six minutes.
Flight SQ321 took off from London Heathrow shortly after 10pm on May 20 with 211 passengers and 18 crew on board - including 47 Brits.
Nearly 11 hours into the 13-hour journey to Singapore, the packed jet was smashed by sudden "severe turbulence" while passengers were eating breakfast, officials said.
Geoff Kitchen, 73, died of a heart attack following the chaos.
Six days later, 12 passengers and crew were injured on a Qatar Airways flight.
The jet was on its way from Doha to Dublin when it began shaking as it flew over Turkey.
