Vietnam Airlines overruns runway in Munich during takeoff - What we know so far
On 15 August 2026 a Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787-9 aircraft experienced a runway overrun and tail strike during takeoff. The aircraft was able to return safely with damage to its main landing gear and rear fuselage. The German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (the BFU) has released its preliminary report. In this blog post, I take a look at what we know about this accident so far.
Please note that this information is preliminary and subject to change.
Brief overview
Date: 15 August 2026
Time: Aircraft departed Munich at 11:57 UTC (13:57 local time)
Flight: VN34
Airline: Vietnam Airlines
Aircraft Type: Boeing 787-9
Aircraft Registration: VN-A867
Departure: Munich Airport, Germany (MUC)
Scheduled Arrival: Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport, Vietnam (HAN)
Accident: Aircraft suffered a runway overrun and tail strike on takeoff
What happened - from preliminary report
On the day of the accident, the flight under instrument flight rules was scheduled to fly from Munich, Germany, to Noi Bai International Airport, Vietnam. The flight was a commercial passenger flight with 4 pilots, 12 cabin crew and 271 passengers on board.
The preliminary report states that the takeoff mass was 240,857kg and onboard fuel was 68,783kg. The flaps were in position 5 degrees and the slats were in the takeoff position.
According to the preliminary report, the indicated airspeeds (IAS) for takeoff were:
V1 (decision speed) = 169kt IAS
Vr (rotation speed) = 175kt IAS
V2 (takeoff safety speed) = 180kt IAS
These speeds were taken from the Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFR) recording.
The times below are in UTC unless otherwise stated.
At 11:35 UTC (13:35 local time), the aircraft left parking position 103 at terminal 1 and at 11:46:48 UTC air traffic control issued taxi clearance. The aircraft taxied to holding point B14 of runway 26L.
At 11:53:57, the flight crew received clearance from the tower controller to line up on runway 26L and at 11:55:47, the flight crew received takeoff clearance.
At 11:56:12 the takeoff-go-around mode for the takeoff run was activated and at 11:56:15 the EAFR recorded rudder pedal input from the two left hand seat pedals. Also at 11:56:15, the EAFR recorded brake pedal movement of the two left brake pedals. About abreast of the intersection with taxiway B4, tire tracks of the wheels of the aircraft's two main landing gears were identified. The braking activation of the Braking System Control Units (BSCUs_ was 15% on the left and 6% on the right side.
At 11:57:03, for about 18 seconds, the IAS was about 168kt IAS. Short speed deviations downwards and then back to the original speed were recorded. Another braking activity via the brake pedals and the brakes were recorded during the takeoff run. The maximum recorded brake pedal position reported was 7.2 degrees. The EAFR parameter of the left BSCU inboard and outboard channels, at 11:57:12 had a maximum value of about 27%. The maximum value of the right BSCU inboard and outboard was 17%.
At 11:57:13, shortly before rotation, the pilot monitoring increased engine thrust manually from 100% N1 to 101% N1. At 11:57:14, rotation occurred at 163kt IAS about abreast with the threshold. (The calculated Vr speed was 175kt IAS). The pitch angle reached a maximum of 6.88 degrees at the air to ground transition. The angle of attack reached 6.89 degrees. A pull on the left hand control column of +93 converted units was recorded.
The aircraft lifted off from the grass area beyond the threshold of runway 08R. The tire tracks led beyond the threshold and the 60 metre long clearway behind it. They ended about 240m beyond the threshold of 08R in the grass. The tail section and the wheels of both main landing gears collided with parts of the approach lighting.
At 11:57:19 the V1 speed of 169kt IAS was reached at 11 feet radio altimeter (RA). At 11:57:20, at 15 feet RA, the pitch angle was 12.2 degrees and the angle of attack was 14 degrees.
At 11:57:21, the leading edge slats extended to the fully extended position as a result of the automatic stall protection.
At 11:57:29, the EAFR recorded a tail strike.
At 12:00:49 the flight crew declared a "pan pan" and requested to maintain 7,000 feet and a radar vector to dump fuel as they expected to return to the airport.
At 12:16:52, the flight crew informed air traffic control that they expected to dump fuel in around 10 minutes and would need assistance on the ground as they had an issue with tire pressure. Air traffic control then cleared the aircraft to 10,000 feet but the crew requested to level off at 9,000 feet. Upon reaching 9,000 feet, the pilot flying was replaced by the pilot in command who was then pilot flying.
Air traffic control then issued clearance to dump fuel and the flight received radar vectors. The process began at 12:22 at 9,000 feet and ended at 13:07. The preliminary report states that a total of 62 tons of fuel were dumped.
The first approach to runway 26R was performed with the main landing gear extended in order to allow ground personnel to visually inspect the landing gear. At 5,000 feet AMSL (above mean sea level), a go-around was initiated and the landing gear retracted again.
The approach was performed with flaps in position 30. At 13:56, the aircraft touched down on runway 26R with a landing mass of 176.5 tons and a touch down speed of 143kt IAS. Four tires on the left main landing gear were found to be damaged after landing. The aircraft taxied to taxiway A6 and stopped. The passengers disembarked via mobile stairs and were assisted by rescue personnel. No one was injured.
Personnel Information
During takeoff, pilot (1) was pilot flying, pilot (2) was pilot monitoring during the entire flight. During cruise flight, the low overflights and the landing, pilot (3) was pilot flying. Pilot (4) had no active role during the entire flight.
Pilot (1), the pilot at takeoff, held an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL(A)) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam in January 2022. This pilot had a total flying experience of 27,182 hours including 7,795 hours as a Boeing 787 Captain and 8,483 hours as a Boeing 777 Captain.
Pilot (2), the co-pilot, also held an ATPL(A) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam in February 2022. This pilot had a total flying experience of 12,375 hours including 3,072 hours as a Boeing 787 Captain and 2,960 hours as a Boeing 787 First Officer.
Pilot (3), the additional pilot in the cockpit held an ATPL(A) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam in March 2022. This pilot had a total flying experience of 22,900 hours including 7,356 hours as a Boeing 787 Captain and 7,057 hours as a Boeing 777 Captain. As assigned by the operator, he was the pilot in command for the flight. He became Pilot Flying and performed the low overflights and the landing.
Pilot (4), the other additional pilot in the cockpit held a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam in June 2022. This pilot had a total flying experience of 1,444 hours on the Boeing 787-9.
About the aircraft
The aircraft involved in this accident was a Boeing 787-9 which at the time of the occurrence, had a capacity of 274 passengers.
Manufacturer/Model: Boeing/ B787-9
Engines: 2x GE Aerospace GEnx-1B
Year of Manufacture: 2016
Operating hours/Landing: 41,421 hours/8,189
Maximum Takeoff Mass/Maximum Landing Mass: 247,207kg/192,776kg
Meteorological Information
According to the METAR of 11:50 UTC, horizontal visibility was more than 10km at the airport. Wind direction was variable with 3kt; temporarily from 350 degrees with 5kt. A cloud base below 5,000 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) was not determined. Temperature was 33 degrees Celsius and the dewpoint was 6 degrees Celsius. QNH was 1,016 hPa.
Aerodrome Information
Munich Airport is at an elevation of 1,487 feet AMSL. The airport has two parallel runways which are 4,000m long, 60m wide and designated 26L/08R and 26R/08L.
At the time of the accident, runway 26L had a takeoff run available of 4,000m and a takeoff distance available of 4,060m long. Either runway end had a 60m long and 150m wide clearway.
Flight Recorders
The aircraft was equipped with two Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders. The combined cockpit voice and data recorders (CVDR) record digitally voice and flight parameters. The preliminary report states that the BFU seized both EAFRs and that it was possible to read out the data.
The two digital cockpit voice recorders had recorded 4 audio flies each with a recording time of 2 hours each. The audio recording of the takeoff was overwritten. The landing and switch off of the power occurred over two hours after takeoff.
Findings on the runway and the aircraft
While the aircraft rolled past the threshold, across the clearway and into the grass, a total of 20 lamps of the 08R runway lighting were damaged.
During rotation, the aircraft's fuselage was substantially damaged when the tail section contacted the ground and lamps of the runway lighting. Four tires of the left main landing gear were observed to be damaged after landing.
The preliminary report states that there were no indications of fire during the takeoff phase or in flight. In the area of the left main landing gear, smoke developed but the fire brigade did not identify any fire in this area.
Examination of system components
The preliminary report states that the BFU seized several system components. These were the Brake System Control Units and the Electric Brake Actuator Controllers. These will be examined in detail.
About the Boeing 787
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was launched on 26 April 2004 with an order for 50 aircraft from ANA, targeting a 2008 introduction. It's maiden flight occurred on 15 December 2009 and type certification was received in August 2011. The first 787-8 was delivered in September 2011 and entered commercial service in October 2011 with ANA. The 787-9 has a 20 foot longer fuselage and a 54,500 pound higher max takeoff weight than the 787-8. The launch customer for the Boeing 787-9 was Air New Zealand.
About Vietnam Airlines
Vietnam Airlines is the flag carrier of Vietnam. It was founded in 1956 and established as a state owned enterprise in April 1989. A seven seat management board, appointed by the Vietnamese Prime Minister, oversees the company. According to FlightRadar24 data at the time of writing, the airline has 93 aircraft in its fleet which is made up of: A320neo, A321neo, A320, A321, A350-900, Boeing 787-9, Boeing 787-10. The airline operates routes to North America (San Francisco), Australia (Perth, Melbourne, Sydney), Europe (London, Paris, Milan), Asia (Delhi, Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo) and more.
With the investigation underway it will be interesting to see what else the investigation uncovers and how this could impact future aviation operations (especially takeoff procedures). Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment below, on our group discussion page or on social media. You can also get in touch through the contact form or by email.
Thank you for reading.
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Date published: 10 October 2026
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