The plane carrying missing Cardiff City striker Emiliano Sala reportedly needed four attempts before successfully taking off.
Sala is feared dead after a small aircraft carrying him and one other person disappeared over the English channel at around 8.30pm on Monday night.
The 28-year-old was travelling from Nantes to Cardiff just days after the Bluebirds made him their new record signing in a £15m deal.
Extensive searches have so far found no trace of the Argentine striker, although they have resumed searches again this morning after stopping during the night.
The Mirror reports that the plane suffered three failed take-offs before eventually leaving Nantes at around 7.15pm.
The Piper Malibu aircraft then reached heights of 5,000ft before descending to 2,300ft when it went off the radar.
Guernsey Police have admitted that the chances of survival are now "slim".
