LATAM Flight LA3858 Runs Off Runway in Brazil: What Happened, 151 Safe

Travel & Aviation  |  September 1, 2026

Quick Answer

LATAM Airlines flight LA3858 — an Airbus A320-214 registered PR-MYO — ran off the runway while landing at Cascavel Regional Airport (CAC) in Paraná, southern Brazil, on Monday, August 31, 2026 at around 9:45 a.m. local time. The aircraft carried 145 passengers and 6 crew members; all 151 people evacuated safely with no injuries reported. Heavy rain and thunderstorms were affecting the airport at the time. The return flight LA3859 was canceled and the airport was temporarily closed.

What Exactly Happened to Flight LA3858?

LATAM Airlines Brasil flight LA3858 was operating from São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) to Cascavel, a city in the inland western part of Paraná state in southern Brazil. The Airbus A320-214, registered PR-MYO, departed on its scheduled domestic route and approached Cascavel Regional Airport on the morning of August 31, 2026.

Weather at the airport was deteriorating. Around the time of the incident, Cascavel was under heavy rain and thunderstorms, with visibility reduced to less than two miles. Flight-tracking data indicates the A320 landed on Runway 15 and slowed to around 15 knots when it began turning to backtrack along the runway. The aircraft then left the paved surface before completing the maneuver.

The airplane came to a stop on rain-soaked ground alongside the runway, with its landing gear partially sunk into the mud. Passenger video shared on social media shows the A320 fully off the runway, stuck in brown mud and standing water. LATAM described the incident as occurring during the final stage of the landing and said it was cooperating with authorities investigating the cause.

Why Did the Aircraft Leave the Runway?

The exact cause of the runway excursion is still under investigation by Brazilian authorities, with LATAM cooperating. However, the known facts point to two contributing factors: heavy rain on the runway surface and the maneuver being performed while the aircraft was still moving at speed.

Flight-tracking data shows the A320 touched down on Runway 15 and slowed to roughly 15 knots before beginning a turn to backtrack along the runway. Runway backtracking is a standard procedure at airports without a full parallel taxiway, but doing it on a rain-soaked surface at that speed can lead to a loss of directional control, especially if the aircraft drifts off the paved edge.

LATAM said the incident occurred during the final stage of the landing but did not provide further details about what caused the aircraft to leave the runway. The airline noted it is assessing how to remove the aircraft, which remained stuck in the mud for recovery and inspection.

Runway excursions during rain are among the most-studied events in aviation safety. Brazil's aviation regulator (ANAC) and the incident investigation center (CENIPA) typically examine factors including runway surface condition, braking action reports, weather at touchdown and the crew's procedures. The final report usually takes months to publish.

Was Anyone Hurt? How Did the Evacuation Work?

No. LATAM confirmed that all 145 passengers and six crew members aboard flight LA3858 evacuated the aircraft safely, and no injuries were reported. This outcome is consistent with the aircraft coming to rest on soft ground at low speed rather than at high impact.

After the aircraft stopped, passengers and crew followed standard emergency evacuation procedures. The crew's priority — evacuating everyone off the aircraft and away from the fuselage — was completed without medical incidents. Video from the scene shows passengers moving away from the aircraft as emergency crews arrived.

LATAM stated it was accommodating affected passengers on other flights. The airline canceled flight LA3859, the scheduled return service from Cascavel to São Paulo, and said passengers were being offered alternative routing, including departures from Foz do Iguaçu, the nearest major airport in the region.

This incident is a reminder that even when a landing ends off the runway, the evacuation discipline of crew and passengers is what determines whether an event turns into a tragedy. In this case, the calm, orderly evacuation produced a fully safe outcome for all 151 people aboard.

What Happened to Cascavel Airport After the Incident?

Cascavel Regional Airport was closed following the runway excursion. A NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) initially indicated the airport could remain closed until 19:00 local time on the day of the incident, although the reopening time was subject to change depending on how quickly the aircraft could be removed and the runway inspected.

The closure disrupted regional air service. Beyond the canceled LA3859 return flight, other flights scheduled to and from Cascavel were affected, with the airport's operator and airlines coordinating diversions to Foz do Iguaçu and other nearby airports.

Recovery operations involved specialized equipment to lift the A320 out of the mud, followed by an inspection of the aircraft and the runway surface. Runways that suffer excursions are typically closed until engineers confirm the pavement is safe for landing and takeoff, since the aircraft's landing gear can damage the surface.

Passengers holding bookings to or from Cascavel in the days after the incident were advised by LATAM to check the airline's official channels for rebooking and compensation options. The situation was dynamic, and the airport's reopening depended on the recovery timeline.

What Is the Aircraft PR-MYO and Its History?

The aircraft involved is an Airbus A320-214, registered PR-MYO, powered by two CFM International CFM56 engines. According to public aviation records, the aircraft first flew in December 2011 and was originally delivered to TAM — Brazil's legacy carrier — before TAM merged with LATAM, making it part of the LATAM Airlines Brasil fleet.

The A320-214 is one of the most widely operated narrow-body aircraft in the world, used across LATAM's domestic Brazilian network and short-haul regional routes. The type is known for its reliability, with a strong overall safety record in commercial service.

After the incident, the aircraft remained at the site pending extraction and inspection. The extent of any damage to the landing gear, wings or fuselage would determine whether the jet returns to service or is written off — a decision typically made after a full engineering assessment and coordination with the insurer.

The aircraft's age (nearly 15 years old) is not itself a safety concern; A320s routinely operate for 25 years or more under rigorous maintenance programs. The investigation will focus on the operational and weather factors of the landing, not the age of the airframe.

What Safety Record Does LATAM Have on Brazilian Domestic Routes?

LATAM Airlines Brasil operates one of the largest domestic networks in South America, flying the A320 family, A321s and 787s across dozens of Brazilian cities. Commercial aviation in Brazil is heavily regulated by ANAC, and LATAM's Brazilian operation operates under full IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certification.

Like any major airline, LATAM has experienced incidents over the years, including a similar runway excursion at Florianópolis in July 2023 when an A321 skidded off the runway in heavy rain with 172 passengers and 7 crew — also with no injuries. That incident was also weather-related and ended safely.

The Cascavel event is the second notable rain-related runway excursion for LATAM Brasil in recent years, and both ended without injuries. Runway excursions are the most common category of commercial aviation incident worldwide, according to safety databases like the Aviation Safety Network and IATA — which is why the industry has pushed runway safety programs and improved braking-action reporting.

What Should Passengers Know About Their Rights After This Incident?

Passengers on canceled or delayed flights in Brazil are protected by ANAC Resolution 400, which governs airline obligations in cases of flight cancellation, delay and rebooking. When a flight is canceled, the airline must offer rebooking on the next available flight or a full refund, and provide assistance (meals, lodging, transport) based on the length of the delay.

For passengers on LA3859 or other affected Cascavel flights, the practical steps are: contact LATAM's official channels, check rebooking options to the nearest available airports (Foz do Iguaçu was the designated alternative), and keep receipts for any expenses incurred if assistance is due.

The incident itself — a runway excursion with no injuries — does not automatically entitle passengers to the higher compensation tiers that apply to major delays caused by the airline. Weather-related disruptions are generally treated differently from airline-caused disruptions under both Brazilian and international rules.

Passengers are advised to use LATAM's official website and app rather than third-party rebooking services, which may charge fees the airline would waive. Documentation of the original booking and any changes should be kept for reference if a refund or compensation claim is needed.

How Rare Are Runway Excursions Like This?

Runway excursions — when an aircraft leaves the paved runway surface — are the most common type of commercial aviation incident in the world, according to IATA and the Flight Safety Foundation. Most are minor, occur during landing, and are caused or worsened by adverse weather, particularly heavy rain reducing braking effectiveness.

The Flight Safety Foundation's runway safety programs have helped reduce serious excursions, but the events remain frequent in aggregate because they cover everything from a small skid to a full overrun. What distinguishes outcomes is almost always speed at the point of departure from the runway and the condition of the ground beyond the pavement.

In the Cascavel case, the aircraft was moving slowly (around 15 knots) when it left the runway, and it came to rest on soft, rain-soaked ground. Low speed and soft ground are exactly the conditions that allow a full safe evacuation. Higher-speed excursions into hard obstacles are the ones that historically produce casualties.

Aviation authorities worldwide have responded to excursion statistics with mandatory runway condition reporting (like the FAA's Runway Condition Assessment Matrix) and training on rejected landings. Brazil's CENIPA will apply the same standards in its investigation of LA3858.

What Is LATAM's Official Statement and Next Steps?

LATAM issued a statement confirming the facts: the aircraft operating LA3858 from São Paulo/Guarulhos to Cascavel left the runway during the final stage of landing, all 145 passengers and six crew were evacuated safely with no injuries, and the airline was cooperating with the authorities investigating the incident.

The airline also confirmed it was assessing how to remove the aircraft from the scene and was accommodating affected passengers. LATAM canceled the return flight LA3859 and directed passengers to alternative routings from Foz do Iguaçu.

The next steps follow standard protocol: the recovery team extracts the aircraft, authorities (ANAC/CENIPA) gather flight data, cockpit and air traffic recordings, and weather records, and LATAM works with regulators to return the fleet to normal operations. A final incident report from CENIPA typically follows within months.

For the traveling public, the incident has no bearing on the general safety of flying — commercial aviation remains the safest mode of long-distance transport, and this event is a reminder that trained crews and emergency procedures are precisely what turn a scary landing into a safe one.

The Timeline of Events: Minute by Minute

Reconstructing the incident from flight data and official statements gives a clear picture of how the morning unfolded. The flight departed São Paulo/Guarulhos on schedule and flew southwest toward Cascavel, a domestic route of roughly an hour. Weather reports along the way showed the thunderstorm system building over Paraná.

Around 9:45 a.m. local time, the crew began the approach to Runway 15 at Cascavel. With visibility under two miles and heavy rain, the aircraft touched down and decelerated to approximately 15 knots over ground — a normal rollout speed. The sequence that followed, however, took the aircraft off the paved surface.

The aircraft turned to backtrack along the runway, a maneuver needed because Cascavel lacks a parallel taxiway at the threshold end. During or after that turn, the jet left the pavement and settled into the rain-softened ground beyond the runway edge, its gear sinking into the mud.

Emergency response and evacuation followed immediately. LATAM confirmed the safe evacuation of all 151 people, canceled the LA3859 return service, and the airport issued a NOTAM closing the field. Recovery crews and investigators then moved in to extract the aircraft and begin the inquiry.

Understanding Runway Excursions for Nervous Flyers

If reading about a plane leaving the runway makes you uneasy, the statistics are reassuring. Runway excursions are the most common type of commercial aviation incident, and the overwhelming majority — like this one — end with everyone safe. The reason is that modern safety systems and crew training are designed around exactly this scenario.

The factors that turned this event into a non-event are worth understanding: the aircraft was moving slowly (about 15 knots), the ground it entered was soft (absorbing the energy), there was no impact with a hard obstacle, and the crew executed a textbook evacuation. Each of these is a safety barrier that exists specifically to protect passengers.

Commercial aviation's fatality rate has fallen dramatically over the past two decades, and runway excursions are a leading example of an incident category where industry programs (IATA's runway safety, improved braking-action reporting, runway condition assessment matrices) have measurably reduced the severity of outcomes.

For nervous flyers, the practical takeaway is that abnormal events are rare, and when they occur, the system is engineered so that the likely outcome is a safe evacuation — not a tragedy. The Cascavel incident is a demonstration of that engineering working as designed.

How Did This Trending in Chile and Latin America?

The incident trended heavily in Chile and across Latin America on August 31 and September 1, 2026, because LATAM is the region's largest airline group and many travelers in Chile, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador connect through São Paulo or fly on LATAM aircraft. A LATAM incident anywhere in the region is, in effect, local news.

Chilean media (Emol, Chilevisión) and international outlets (El Mundo, Infobae) covered the event, emphasizing that all 151 people were safe. The phrase 'avión latam brasil' jumped into Google Trends in Chile as users searched for details, video and confirmation of the outcome.

For travelers in the region, the incident serves as a practical reminder of the resilience of commercial aviation: a runway excursion in heavy rain that ends with everyone walking away is the expected outcome of modern safety systems, and it is why such events rarely translate into casualties.

Common Mistakes in Coverage of Runway Incidents (and What's True)

Social media spread several inaccuracies during the first hours of the incident. The most common: claiming passengers were injured, which was false — LATAM and authorities confirmed all 151 evacuated without injuries. Another was attributing the cause definitively to 'pilot error,' which is speculative before the investigation completes.

A recurring confusion was about the aircraft type and whether it was a LATAM international flight. LA3858 was a domestic Brazilian route on an A320-214 (PR-MYO), not an international flight. Some early posts also described the aircraft as 'crashing' or 'crashing off the runway' — the accurate description is a runway excursion during landing.

The verified facts stand: flight LA3858, A320-214 PR-MYO, São Paulo/Guarulhos to Cascavel, landing in heavy rain, left Runway 15 during a backtrack at ~15 knots, all 151 safe, LA3859 canceled, airport closed, investigation by ANAC/CENIPA. Everything else should be treated as unconfirmed until official reports are published.

This pattern is common after aviation incidents and why aviation experts advise waiting for the official report: early narratives — about causes, injuries or aircraft condition — are frequently wrong. The safest information source is the airline's official statement and the regulator's updates, which is exactly what this guide follows.

Runway Excursions in Context: A Historical Comparison

Putting the Cascavel event in context helps calibrate how serious it was. In July 2023, a LATAM A321 (PT-MXM) skidded off the runway at Florianópolis in heavy rain with 172 passengers and 7 crew — all safe, airport closed for repairs. In May 2024, a LATAM A320 at Brasilia had an engine shut down in flight and landed safely. None of these produced casualties.

Globally, the most serious runway excursions involve high-speed departures from the runway or overruns into obstacles or water. The vast majority, particularly during rain at modest speed, are survivable. IATA's safety data consistently shows runway excursions as the most frequent incident category but with a very low fatality rate relative to their frequency.

What changed in the industry after high-profile excursions in the 2010s is systematic: runway condition reporting (RCAM), improved braking-action alerts, enhanced landing-distance calculations and crew resource management training. These programs are the reason a rain landing that once might have ended worse now typically ends with everyone safe.

Where to Follow the Official Investigation

For authoritative updates on the Cascavel incident, the reference points are the Brazilian aviation regulator ANAC (anac.gov.br), the incident investigation center CENIPA (cenipa.fab.mil.br), and LATAM's official channels. These are the sources that publish confirmed facts, the flight data readout and any interim findings.

Aviation media such as The Aviation Herald, Aerotime and AeroInside track the incident with professional sourcing and update their coverage as details emerge. For general readers, the airline's own statement is the fastest way to confirm the facts, and the regulator's report is the definitive account once the investigation concludes.

As of September 1, 2026, the confirmed facts remain: all 151 people safe, aircraft PR-MYO stuck in the mud awaiting recovery, the airport closed and the investigation underway. This guide will be updated if and when the authorities release new information.

What Can Travelers Learn From This Incident?

First, weather matters more than most travelers realize. Heavy rain at an airport can reduce braking performance significantly, and airlines still operate in it — which is why runway excursions, while alarming, are generally survivable. Understanding that rain landings are routine-but-risky helps set expectations.

Second, follow the crew. The passengers on LA3858 evacuated safely because they followed the crew's instructions quickly and calmly. In any abnormal landing, the crew's directions are the single most important factor in a safe outcome.

Third, know your rights but don't panic. If your flight is canceled because of an incident, the airline owes you rebooking or refund plus assistance under ANAC Resolution 400. Documentation of your booking, receipts and the airline's communications will make any claim straightforward.

Finally, stay informed through official channels. During an active incident, LATAM's official site and ANAC are authoritative; social media video is useful for context but not for facts. This guide compiles the verified facts as of September 1, 2026, and will be updated as the investigation produces more information.

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