Vietnam Airlines jet deployed brakes twice before botched take-off

• A Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787 activated brakes twice during take-off at Munich Airport, causing a late lift-off and tail strike, with no injuries among 287 onboard.
• The plane lost acceleration halfway down the runway but took off after the co-pilot increased engine power; the aircraft was substantially damaged.
• Investigation is ongoing; key brake components were seized, cockpit audio was overwritten, and the cause of braking is still unclear according to the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation.

MUNICH – A Boeing 787 aircraft operated by Vietnam Airlines had its brakes activated twice while barrelling down the runway at Munich Airport in August, leading to a perilously late take-off 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 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 take-off.

The report does not 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 take-off 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 wasn’t enough tarmac left to abort take-off.

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.

No one on board was injured. The investigation into the incident is ongoing and no final conclusions have been reached.

There were four pilots in the cockpit at the time of take-off. The pilot flying – a captain – occupied the left-hand seat, while the 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 pilot in command, another captain with almost 23,000 hours of flying experience, replaced the pilot flying in the left-hand seat after take-off, and performed the subsequent emergency landing.

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 tyres 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. 

The aircraft weighed a total of 240,857kg on take-off – close to the maximum take-off mass of 247,207kg. Fuel accounted for 68,783kg. 

While in the air dumping fuel, the flight crew reported a suspected flat tyre to air traffic control, according to the report. 

Vietnam Airlines was contacted for comment outside of business hours but didn’t immediately respond. BLOOMBERG