Incident: Gol B738 at Rio de Janeiro on Sep. 25, Runway Excursion During Taxi

A Gol Linhas Aereas Boeing 737-800, registration PR-GXP performing flight G3-1668 from Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont, RJ to Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil), was taxiing for departure from runway 20L at about 7:10 p.m. L (10:10 p.m. Z), when a change of winds prompted air traffic control to switch runways. The aircraft was instructed to backtrack the runway for departure from runway 02R, however, while still attempting to line up 20L in a way to have the most runway length available and thus turning left, the aircraft went beyond the runway and taxiway edge and became disabled with nose and left main gear on soft ground between thresholds of runway 20R and 20L.

The airport was closed for about 2.20 hours until the aircraft was moved off the runway.

The airline confirmed that the aircraft was taxiing following a runway change due to wind change when the aircraft went off the runway in that maneouver with a gear stuck on grass. The passengers disembarked safely and were accomodated on other flights.