Vietnam orders air safety review after Munich airport near miss

HANOI – Vietnam’s government has ordered an urgent assessment of aircraft safety and said it’s seeking closer coordination with German authorities in a probe into a Vietnam Airlines aircraft that had a close call at Munich Airport last weekend.Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc commissioned a review of flight operations, aircraft maintenance and technical inspections, as well as crew training, according to a dispatch issued on Aug 20.The directive also instructs the construction and finance ministries to work closely with German investigators and report to the government on the cause of the incident and measures to address it.The Hanoi-bound Boeing 787-9 plane, which was carrying almost 300 people on board, experienced a loss of acceleration halfway down the runway but the flight crew determined there was not enough tarmac left to abort takeoff, according to state media.A preliminary inspection found that four main landing gear tyres had burst, the report said.German investigators said lift-off occurred late, beyond the actual runway, and the plane’s tail struck the ground.Tyre marks attributable to the aircraft were identified at the end of the runway, according to a statement from the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation.The flight recorders are being examined but the data readout and analysis will take some time to complete, it said.None of the 271 passengers and 16 crew were injured.The plane returned to its departure airport after dumping fuel to reduce its weight and ensure a safe landing, state media said.The takeoff weight was within safe operating limits and weather conditions were said to be good.The two main pilots of the four-member crew had logged 22,000 to 27,000 flight hours each as of July.Vietnam Airlines said the plane had a technical issue and the company is coordinating with relevant authorities in the ongoing investigation.The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam earlier said it had contacted German authorities for coordination in the probe. BLOOMBERG