Cascavel, Brazil: A LATAM Airlines Brasil Airbus A320 carrying 151 people left the paved runway while landing at Cascavel Regional Airport in Paraná, Brazil, on August 31, 2026. The aircraft, operating flight LA3858 from São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport to Cascavel, came to rest on soft, rain-soaked ground beside the runway. All 145 passengers and six crew members were evacuated safely, with no injuries reported.
Flight LA3858 departed São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport and was scheduled to arrive at Cascavel, approximately 710 km west of Curitiba. Flightradar24 data shows PR-MYO departed Guarulhos at about 11:19 UTC and landed at Cascavel at approximately 12:47 UTC, corresponding to about 9:47 a.m. local time. LATAM placed the occurrence at approximately 9:45 a.m. local time.
The incident occurred amid rain, thunderstorms and reduced visibility around Cascavel. Weather observations for the airport recorded thunderstorms and rain in the period surrounding the aircraft’s arrival, with visibility at one point reduced to about 3,000 metres. Other reports noted heavy rain and standing water around the runway area.
According to tracking-based reports, the aircraft landed on Runway 15 and decelerated normally. It slowed to approximately 15 knots before the crew began a turn to backtrack along the runway. During that low-speed maneuver, the A320 departed the paved surface and entered the soft ground beside the runway, where its landing gear became partially embedded in mud.
LATAM itself described the occurrence more broadly as the aircraft exceeding the runway limit during the final stage of landing. The airline has not publicly confirmed that aquaplaning, inadequate braking, runway contamination or any other specific factor caused the aircraft to leave the pavement. Although the heavy rain and wet surface are relevant circumstances, the available reports do not establish them as the confirmed cause.
The airline said in its statement: “LATAM Airlines Brasil reports that the aircraft operating flight LA3858 (Guarulhos–Cascavel) on Monday (August 31) exceeded the runway limit during the final stage of its landing at approximately 9:45 a.m. local time. All 145 passengers and six crew members disembarked safely, and there were no injuries.”
LATAM added that it was “providing all necessary assistance to passengers and employees” and that it was cooperating with authorities investigating the occurrence while evaluating the conditions required to remove the aircraft. The airline also reiterated that it maintains technical and operational safety measures to ensure safe travel.
The runway was closed following the incident because the aircraft remained off the paved surface and had to be assessed and recovered. The closure disrupted operations at Cascavel Airport, while the return service LA3859 from Cascavel to São Paulo–Guarulhos was cancelled. LATAM said passengers affected by the cancellation were being accommodated on other services.
There were no reported fatalities or injuries among the 151 occupants. Images and passenger videos published by several outlets showed the A320 standing off the runway in muddy ground and standing water, with passengers being assisted away from the aircraft.
The cause of the runway excursion has not been officially established. Brazilian aviation authorities are expected to examine the aircraft’s flight parameters, weather conditions, runway surface and braking performance, as well as the circumstances surrounding the aircraft’s departure from the paved surface. Brazil’s Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) is involved in the technical investigation, although a definitive causal finding had not been released at the time of the reports reviewed. The occurrence is therefore being treated as a runway excursion/aviation incident, rather than a crash.
