Lufthansa Airbus: Premature Landing in Munich – BFU Investigates

What is known about the incident so far

The BFU launched an investigation procedure immediately after the incident. As a rule, investigators secure flight data from the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, interview the crew, and analyze weather and runway conditions. The first reliable results are not expected before the evaluation is completed.

According to the airport operator, Munich Airport remained in operation. Emergency services and the fire brigade were on standby, a spokesperson said, but were not deployed for medical care. A Lufthansa spokesperson stated on request that the company takes the incident seriously and is cooperating fully with the BFU.

Role of the Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation

As things currently stand in the investigation, no people were harmed. The passengers were able to leave the aircraft via the regular routes. The exact runway on which the Airbus touched down, as well as the further course of the flight after landing, have not been made public so far.

Travelers told regional news outlets about a loud touchdown and a brief delay when disembarking. An RTL team that was at the airport filmed the affected Airbus while it was stationary. The images show visible marks on the landing gear and wing that indicate a hard contact.

The BFU is the German authority for the investigation of aircraft accidents and serious incidents. It usually publishes its findings in a final report, which can also contain safety-relevant recommendations to manufacturers and operators. The current case has been assigned a clear file number that will be used in later statistical analyses.

Background: Munich as a hub

Munich is one of Germany's busiest airports. Time and again, reportable events occur here in which aircraft touch down short of or beyond the intended threshold. Most of these incidents turn out minor and do not have serious consequences, but are always documented by the BFU.

Lufthansa stated that the crew had followed all prescribed procedures. Vietnam Airlines repeated this wording in a comparable context following an earlier incident involving a Boeing 787-9, with the Vietnamese airline saying it wanted to "aufrichtig für die entstandenen Unannehmlichkeiten" bedauern. This wording comes from an earlier statement and does not directly relate to the Munich incident.

Next steps and media coverage

The German press agency dpa was the first to report on the incident at Munich Airport. Several media, including RTL and national daily newspapers, picked up the story on Tuesday. The BFU announced that it would provide timely updates if new findings became available.