As of: January 18, 2024, 6:46 p.m
By: Lucas Sauter Orengo
Comments
Press
Split
Breakdown at Munich Airport: A tow vehicle driver forgot to position brake blocks on an Airbus and then had to react quickly.
© Twitter: The CrossChecker, IMAGO / Panthermedia
Breakdown at Munich Airport: Shortly before reaching the parking position at Terminal 2, a Lufthansa plane suddenly became independent.
A video shows the anxious moment.
Airport – It is the second longest passenger aircraft in the world: the Airbus A-340-600.
Such a Lufthansa plane caused a moment of shock at Munich Airport at the beginning of the year when it became autonomous for a few seconds shortly before arriving at the parking position.
A video circulating online shows the incident - Lufthansa is now explaining to our editorial team how this could have happened.
Munich Airport: Lufthansa Airbus breaks down on the tarmac - the plane becomes self-employed
To classify: Such a case is not common, on the contrary.
This would have “actually never” happened in the past, said a Lufthansa spokeswoman when asked.
But what had happened?
On January 4th, the Airbus was in the process of being brought to its gate position at the satellite of Terminal 2; as usual, a tow vehicle took over this job.
But that's exactly where the breakdown occurred: "After the towing process, the driver lowered the aircraft's nose wheel from his vehicle and released it without first fixing the aircraft to the landing gear with brake blocks," said the airline.
Breakdown at Munich Airport: Lufthansa plane turns itself off shortly before parking
As can be seen in the short video online, the driver caused the Airbus to drift uncontrollably: “The aircraft then slowly began to roll back a few meters and slightly to the side.
The driver reacted immediately and was able to bring the Airbus to a halt immediately using the brake blocks on the landing gear,” Lufthansa continued.
There was no major damage in the incident, only “minor damage” to the nose wheel tire was recorded - and quickly repaired.
There were no passengers on board at the time.
(Our Erding newsletter regularly informs you about all important stories from your region. Sign up here.)
My news
“Comedy full of mistakes”: read Customs trouble for Arnold Schwarzenegger at Munich Airport
Accidents in freezing rain reading
Erding: Clearcutting on the railway track
The railway barriers can be read for 24 minutes per hour
Social housing: Strongly built and yet far too little reading
Taxi priest hits the headlines
“Initial assessments assume that the tractor driver made a work error; investigations into this are still ongoing,” the airline concluded.
Lufthansa most recently used the Airbus A340-600 on routes in North America and Asia.
After the breakdown at the satellite terminal in Munich, it was “fully operational” after repairs and went back on track as planned.