Hanoi, Aug 18, (dpa/GNA) – A technical problem appears to have occurred during take-off of a Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787-9, involved in a near-accident at Munich Airport, according to a preliminary report issued by Vietnam’s aviation authority on Tuesday.
The crew of flight VN34 noticed problems while accelerating along the runway on Saturday, according to the report, which cited the pilots.
About halfway down the runway, the aircraft stopped accelerating for around two seconds. It then accelerated to the critical speed required for take-off before its speed began to fall again. With insufficient runway remaining to safely abort the take-off, the pilot continued, moving the engine thrust levers to maximum and raising the aircraft’s nose, according to the report.
Shortly after the aircraft became airborne, warnings indicated that its tail had struck the runway and that four of its eight tyres were losing pressure. An initial inspection later found that four tyres had burst, three on the left side of the landing gear and one on the right.
The crew alerted air-traffic control and decided to return to Munich for a technical inspection. Before landing, the aircraft dumped fuel to reduce its weight and flew two low-altitude loops over the airport, so that air-traffic control could assess the condition of the landing gear. After no abnormalities were detected, the pilot landed the aircraft, according to the report.
Social media footage showed the Boeing 787-9 overshooting the runway during take-off and becoming airborne, while leaving a cloud of dust behind. Smoke could be seen rising from the landing gear when the aircraft landed around two hours later. However, there was no fire or smoke inside the aircraft, which was carrying 271 passengers and 16 crew members to Hanoi, according to the preliminary report. No one was injured.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction, has ordered the country’s aviation regulator and national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines to urgently coordinate with German authorities investigating the incident. The ministry instructed the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) to establish an official communication channel with the German authorities, and participate in the investigation in accordance with international rules.
The CAAV was also ordered to strengthen safety oversight of personnel training, aircraft operations and maintenance by Vietnamese airlines, and report the findings of the German investigation and any subsequent corrective and preventive measures. Under Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, German authorities are leading the investigation, with Vietnam’s investigation body expected to cooperate and participate.
Passengers aboard the flight described moments of fear and tension to Vietnamese state media. Nguyen Ninh, who lives in Munich, told VnExpress that he watched fuel being released from both wings for more than an hour as the aircraft circled over the city, with the crew dumping fuel to reduce its weight before landing.
“Watching the plane dump fuel for over an hour left me in a state of turmoil. I found myself imagining the worst-case scenarios,” Ninh said.
Despite growing anxiety, the cabin remained largely calm. Flight attendants distributed water and later instructed passengers to adopt the brace position as the aircraft prepared to land.
Ninh recalled seeing a foreign woman burst into tears, while another passenger repeatedly reassured his wife and children. The family embraced and cried after the aircraft landed safely.
Another passenger, Nguyen, told VnExpress that she had noticed the unusually long take-off roll. After the aircraft became airborne, she heard loud noises and felt slight vibrations. Her son then said, “Dad… I don’t want to die.” “No one in my family answered,” she recalled. “Perhaps at that moment, none of us knew what to say.”
GNA