Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc requested to clarify the cause, determine responsibility and solutions to handle the incident of flight VN34 having to return to Munich airport.
The Government Office said on August 20 that the Deputy Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Construction to preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and German authorities to urgently investigate and comprehensively evaluate the incident that occurred on August 15.
The investigation must comply with Vietnamese regulations and international treaties and regulations on investigation of aircraft incidents and accidents. The two ministries need to proactively monitor developments and investigation results, and report to the Prime Minister on causes, responsibilities and solutions.
The Ministry of Public Security coordinates with the Ministry of Construction to verify necessary information to serve the work of ensuring security, aviation safety and troubleshooting.
The Deputy Prime Minister also requested a comprehensive review of the process of aircraft operation, maintenance, technical inspection, training and performance of flight crew duties. If a problem is detected that threatens operational safety, units must handle it immediately to prevent similar incidents from occurring.
The legitimate rights and interests of affected passengers must be guaranteed, along with adequate and timely support measures.
According to a report from the Vietnam Aviation Administration, on August 15, Boeing 787-9 aircraft registration number VN-A867 made flight VN34 of Vietnam Airlines from Munich to Hanoi, taking off at 13:57 local time. The plane carried 271 passengers and 16 crew members. Takeoff load is about 240 tons, lower than the maximum of 247.2 tons.
After leaving the ground, the system issued a warning about the rear of the aircraft hitting the runway and abnormal tire pressure. The flight crew reported the situation to air traffic controllers, then decided to return to Munich airport for a technical check.
Because the plane had just departed for a long flight back to Vietnam and had a lot of fuel left, the crew had to exhaust it to bring the weight of the plane to a suitable level, ensuring safety when landing. During this time, the system warns that 4 out of 8 tires of the main fork have lost pressure.
After the air traffic controller announced that no external abnormal signs were detected in the landing gear, the flight crew decided to land. The plane landed safely on runway 26R at 3:57 p.m., after about two hours of circling.
No fire or smoke was detected, all passengers were able to leave the plane by ladder truck and enter the terminal safely. The aircraft was then taken to the parking lot for inspection. Initial inspection results showed that 4 main fork tires were burst, including tires number 1, 5 and 6 on the left and tire number 3 on the right.
The rear fuselage of the plane has many longitudinal scratches, and some places have torn skin, indicating that the tail may have hit the runway during takeoff. The plane is currently stopped operating at Munich airport to assess and investigate the incident.
