HANOI: A Boeing Co. 787 aircraft operated by Vietnam Airlines JSC had its brakes activated twice while barrelling down the runway at Munich Airport last month, leading to a perilously late takeoff and the plane’s tail striking the ground, a report found.
Movement of the two left brake pedals was recorded on the same side of the aircraft, where a highly-experienced captain with more than 27,000 flying hours was seated, the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation said in an interim report released Monday (Sept 28).
The report, citing data from the aircraft’s flight recorders, also said that the brakes were applied a second time while the plane was rushing down the runway prior to takeoff. The report doesn’t specify if the braking action was caused by the cockpit crew or stemmed from a technical issue.
Investigators seized several system components, including the brake system control units and the electric brake actuator controllers. The audio recording in the cockpit during the time of the takeoff was overwritten, according to the report.
The Hanoi-bound 787-9 plane, which was carrying 287 passengers and crew, experienced a loss of acceleration halfway down the runway, but the flight crew determined there was not enough tarmac left to abort takeoff. With the plane’s speed insufficient, the co-pilot increased power to the aircraft’s engines to get off the ground beyond the tarmac threshold, according to the report.
None of the individuals on board were injured. The investigation into the Munich accident is ongoing and no final conclusions have been reached.
There were four pilots in the cockpit at the time of takeoff. The pilot flying occupied the left-hand seat, while co-pilot was designated so-called pilot monitoring. The pilot in command, nominated by the operator, was seated in the left jump seat, and another pilot was seated in the right jump seat, according to the report.
The aircraft was "substantially damaged” during the mishap, according to the report. The plane lifted off from the grass after overshooting the runway and "the tail section and the wheels of both main landing gears collided with parts of the approach lighting,” according to investigators.
Four of the left main landing gear tires were also observed to be damaged after the aircraft returned to the departure airport, they added. Before landing back in Munich, the aircraft dumped 62 metric tons of fuel to reduce its weight, the report said.
Vietnam Airlines was contacted for comment outside of business hours but did not immediately respond. - Bloomberg
