Report finds brakes were applied during Dreamliner takeoff

Brakes were applied twice during a Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787-9’s attempted takeoff at Munich Airport in mid-August, according to an initial report published by Germany’s aircraft accident investigation bureau. BR reported the findings on Tuesday.

The report says the brakes were used once after the takeoff roll began and again shortly before the aircraft lifted off. It does not establish whether a pilot applied them or whether a technical fault was responsible. Investigators have secured parts of the braking system and other components for examination.

Shortly before liftoff, the co-pilot increased engine power. The aircraft’s tail and both main landing gear struck runway lights, causing substantial damage. It eventually lifted off from the grass beyond the runway.

The pilots soon decided to return to the airport. Because the aircraft was too heavy to land with a full tank, fuel had to be released, a process that took more than two hours. The report says recordings of the pilots’ voices from the takeoff roll were overwritten while the aircraft was in the air.

The aircraft landed safely but could not taxi off the runway, and its tyres were badly damaged. No one on board was injured. The investigation is continuing, and no final findings have been issued.