Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA Images : Video/Web Screenshots
On Saturday, 15 August 2026, Vietnam Airlines flight VN34, en route from Munich Airport to Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport, suffered severe tail-to-ground contact during takeoff, forcing it to dump fuel and return to its origin airport.
Preliminary information indicates that the aircraft overran the runway edge by approximately 120 meters before taking off, damaging runway lights.
Flight VN34 was originally scheduled to fly to the Vietnamese capital, but the aircraft pulled back on the control stick too late during takeoff, causing the tail to touch the ground. Out of caution, the pilots decided to return. Ninety minutes after takeoff, the aircraft made a low-altitude approach and eventually landed, with thick smoke emanating from the left main landing gear.
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 787-9 (registration number VN-A867), which took off from runway 26L at Munich Airport. The aircraft overran the runway edge before taking off, kicking up a large amount of dust.
After the incident, the aircraft climbed to approximately 10,000 feet. Upon inspection, the crew discovered abnormal tyre pressure and decided to return to Munich.
The aircraft released fuel in the air and circled over Munich for approximately 90 minutes before attempting a landing. Before landing, the aircraft made a low-altitude flyby of runway 26R, followed by a second low-altitude flyby, before landing safely. The incident resulted in the temporary closure of the runway.
The incident caused severe damage to the aircraft's tail section's ground-scraping module, a visibly punctured lower fuselage, and a torn and severely scratched composite material structure in the tail section. Initial indications suggest the aircraft may have experienced significant G-forces and is expected to remain grounded for repairs for several months.
Vietnam Airlines has issued a statement confirming that the aircraft returned to Munich after experiencing a technical problem and remains on the tarmac at Munich Airport.
The statement said that all crew members followed necessary procedures and landed safely after circling for 90 minutes. All passengers and crew members disembarked safely upon arrival in Munich without injury.
Vietnam Airlines is arranging rerouting for affected passengers and coordinating with relevant authorities to inspect the aircraft.
Vietnam Airlines stated that it will release further information after the inspection is completed and subsequent operational plans are finalized, and sincerely apologized for any inconvenience caused to passengers. Vietnam Airlines emphasized that the safety of passengers, crew, and flights is always its highest priority in all operations.
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