Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787 overruns Munich runway before emergency landing
A Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787-9 bound for Hanoi overran the runway during takeoff in Munich, suffered a tailstrike, and circled for two hours before making a landing that destroyed its tires.
Takeoff acceleration failure
On Saturday afternoon, Vietnam Airlines flight VN34, a Boeing 787-9 carrying 250 passengers to Hanoi, initiated takeoff on the south runway (runway 26 left) at Munich Airport. According to a preliminary report from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), the crew noticed an anomaly during acceleration when the aircraft stopped gaining speed for approximately two seconds at roughly the runway midpoint. The jet subsequently accelerated toward its required liftoff speed before its velocity dropped once more. With insufficient runway length remaining to execute an abort safely, the pilots advanced the engine thrust levers to maximum and rotated the aircraft. The airliner crossed the paved boundary and became airborne roughly 100 metres into the overrun area beyond the runway, generating large clouds of dust and shaking the cabin.
Airborne alerts and tailstrike
Immediately following the departure, cockpit sensors alerted the crew to severe structural contact. The instruments registered a tailstrike, confirming that the lower rear fuselage struck the ground during the low-speed rotation. Cockpit alarms also reported a critical drop in tire pressure affecting four of the eight wheels across the two main landing gear assemblies. Inquiries by technical platforms including Aviation Herald indicated that brakes on the right side of the landing gear had engaged or locked up about 200 metres before the end of the asphalt. Aviation expert Heinrich Grossbongardt assessed the narrow margin of safety during the incident.
If the pilot had not become airborne, it could have resulted in a fireball with hundreds of casualties.
Return landing and emergency response
Facing landing gear damage and fuselage contact, the crew notified Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS) and elected to return to Munich for an emergency inspection. DFS coordinated airspace clearance to prepare a landing slot while the aircraft remained airborne for two hours to burn or jettison kerosene. The Boeing 787-9 touched down on Munich Airport's north runway, where heavy smoke rose from the undercarriage as damaged main gear tires ruptured completely. Emergency response crews met the aircraft, and buses transported all 250 passengers uninjured to the airport terminal. Passenger Benjamin Beck described the relief among travelers on board.
We are really super happy that we got out of the situation like this. It could of course have gone completely differently.
- Boeing 787-9 pauses acceleration for two seconds on Munich runway 26 left
- Aircraft lifts off roughly 100 metres past the paved asphalt into the overrun area
- Cockpit receives warnings for a tailstrike and pressure loss in four main landing gear tires
- Flight lands on Munich north runway after two hours in the air, blowing out tires upon touchdown
Investigation into cockpit actions
Germany's Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) in Braunschweig assumed charge of the official investigation on Saturday. BFU technicians secured both the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder over the weekend and transported them to Braunschweig for analysis. The public prosecutor's office in Landshut confirmed that no separate criminal proceedings have been opened. Vietnam Airlines issued an apology to passengers for the disruption, asserting that the crew complied with all standard operating procedures. The BFU expects to release an interim report within several weeks, with the comprehensive final report taking several months to conclude.
