Lufthansa Airbus A380 damages Munich runway lights in early landing after San Francisco flight

Early touchdown on Munich runway

A Lufthansa Airbus A380 carrying 351 passengers touched down short of the runway threshold at Munich Airport on Monday evening, damaging ground lighting installations. The approximately 13-year-old aircraft, registered under German registration D-AIML, was operating flight LH459 following an 11-hour scheduled flight from San Francisco on the United States west coast. According to airline statements, the double-deck wide-body passenger jet made contact with the concrete surface before reaching the white block stripes that designate the official runway threshold. A spokesperson for the carrier confirmed the contact at the edge of the landing zone.

In the area of the runway threshold, damage occurred to the runway lighting. The aircraft landed safely in Munich, and all 351 passengers left the aircraft regularly after landing.

Following the landing rollout, the aircraft taxied under its own engine power to its assigned parking position at the terminal. All 351 passengers and the flight crew deplaned through standard terminal gates without reported injuries.

Federal investigation and flight data

The German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) initiated an inquiry into the landing incident. BFU investigators were deployed directly to Munich Airport to inspect the runway threshold and secure the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the Airbus A380. Lufthansa stated that it is cooperating fully with the federal safety investigators to determine the operational, mechanical, and environmental circumstances of the undershoot. Munich Airport authorities did not immediately release an independent statement regarding runway maintenance or subsequent flight operations.

Preceding takeoff overrun on the same runway

The Lufthansa landing marked the second aviation safety event on the exact same four-kilometer runway within 48 hours. On Saturday, a Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner operating flight VN34 to Hanoi experienced severe acceleration difficulties during its takeoff run. The aircraft traversed the entire length of the paved runway and headed toward the bordering grass perimeter before lifting off at the boundary of the airport property in a cloud of dust. Like the subsequent Lufthansa incident, the departing Boeing struck and damaged threshold and runway lighting equipment.

Preliminary findings on the Boeing incident

Following its delayed liftoff, the Vietnam Airlines flight crew executed a precautionary return to Munich Airport, holding in the air for approximately two hours before touching down. During that landing, multiple tires on the main landing gear burst and smoke rose from the wheel assemblies, but all passengers and crew members exited without injury. A preliminary report issued on Tuesday by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam identified a technical malfunction during the departure roll. According to pilot testimony in the report, the Boeing 787-9 ceased gaining speed for roughly two seconds approximately halfway down the runway. The aircraft initially reached its required takeoff speed, but velocity dropped immediately afterward. Because the crew determined that the remaining runway distance was insufficient to abort the takeoff safely, the captain advanced the engine thrust levers to maximum power and pulled the aircraft nose upward to achieve liftoff. The BFU is investigating both occurrences.