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Vietnam Airlines flight scrapes runway during takeoff in Munich, makes emergency landing

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • A Vietnam Airlines flight experienced a severe technical incident during takeoff from Munich, resulting in the aircraft's tail scraping the runway and damaging ground equipment.
  • The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner managed to take off but had to circle for two hours to dump fuel before making an emergency landing back in Munich, where its landing gear failed upon touchdown.
  • All passengers and crew evacuated safely, and investigations by German and Vietnamese authorities are underway to determine the cause, which could be pilot error, incorrect speed settings, or mechanical failure.

A Vietnam Airlines flight from Munich to Hanoi encountered a harrowing technical incident during takeoff last Saturday. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner reportedly lifted off too late, causing its tail to scrape the runway and its fuselage to run off the end of the tarmac into a green area. The aircraft also appeared to strike ground navigation equipment.

Actually, it almost didn't take off. Fortunately, you survived a brush with death.

— NetizenComment on social media reacting to the near-disaster.

After managing to get airborne, the crew detected tire pressure and system anomalies, unable to retract the landing gear. They communicated with ground control and spent approximately two hours dumping fuel at high altitude to reduce weight for a safe landing. The plane then returned to Munich for an emergency landing.

If you don't clear the runway within 60 seconds, you should prepare yourself...

— NetizenComment on social media highlighting the critical moment of takeoff.

During the hard landing, the left main landing gear burst, emitting significant smoke and damaging multiple tires. However, the aircraft came to a safe stop on the taxiway. All 232 passengers and crew members evacuated without injury. German aviation safety investigators and Vietnam Airlines have launched a probe into the incident, examining potential causes such as operational errors, incorrect speed settings, or aircraft malfunctions.

Almost couldn't pull up and became world headline news. Truly a miracle. The takeoff roll seemed twice as long as usual. Plus that collision sound, anyone who flies knows it's over.

— NetizenComment on social media describing the terrifying takeoff.

First-person footage from a Taiwanese passenger, shared on Threads, showed the plane lurching violently and making a loud impact sound during takeoff. The passenger admitted to being asleep and unaware of the severity until later, when her son showed her the video. Other footage revealed the fuel dumping process, tire blowouts, and the emergency response on the ground. The incident sparked widespread online discussion, with many expressing relief that the passengers narrowly escaped a potential disaster, noting that such a start to a flight often precedes catastrophic outcomes.

Working in the aviation industry, this truly gave me goosebumps.

— NetizenComment from someone in the aviation field reacting to the incident.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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