A Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner experienced a serious incident during its takeoff from Munich, Germany, on August 15. The aircraft, operating flight VN34 to Hanoi, had a late rotation and ran off the end of the runway before finally taking off, leading to its return to Munich for inspection.

According to flight tracking data, the aircraft departed in the early afternoon local time but did not continue its journey to Vietnam. Instead, it circled the Munich area, climbing to approximately 9,000 feet while preparing to return to the airport. Given that this was a long-haul flight and the aircraft was fueled for the journey to Vietnam, it was necessary to burn off fuel for over an hour before landing to ensure optimal weight.

During this time, emergency services at Munich Airport were placed on standby. The Boeing 787 performed low passes over the runway to allow ground staff to assess the condition of the aircraft and check for possible damage, particularly to the tail and landing gear.

Upon landing safely on runway 26R, rescue teams quickly approached the aircraft. Reports indicate that several tires on the landing gear suffered significant damage, with some even torn during the landing process. Images shared on social media showed visible damage to the underside of the aircraft, with debris scattered around the landing gear area. The aircraft reportedly experienced a "tailstrike," where the tail or lower rear fuselage made contact with the runway during takeoff.

Fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries from this incident. The exact cause of the late rotation and subsequent issues remains undetermined. Speculation on social media suggests potential links to takeoff performance calculations or aircraft configuration, but these theories have not been confirmed by investigating authorities.

Determining the cause will require analysis of flight data, cockpit information, the aircraft's technical condition, and input from the flight crew and on-site inspections. The incident temporarily closed the northern runway at Munich Airport, impacting operations and potentially causing delays for other flights.

The Boeing 787-9, registered as VN-A867, had previously completed flight VN35 from Hanoi to Munich before being prepared for the return flight to Vietnam.