On October 21, 2024, a China Southern Airlines aircraft, a Boeing 787-9, experienced a significant tail strike while approaching Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. This incident raises questions about the safety and accuracy of manual landing maneuvers.
According to passenger reports, the plane initially landed hard, took off again briefly and then hit the runway again. Fortunately, passengers and crew were uninjured, but the plane, with the registration number B-1243, suffered significant damage to the lower fuselage and the structure of the cargo hold.
Course of the incident: A daring landing experiment ends dramatically
As local reports and information from the aviation data portal Flightradar24 show, the co-pilot of flight CZ3534 decided to perform a manual landing exercise “without guidance” and navigation aids.
The experienced flight instructor, who was also in the cockpit, approved this attempt in view of the stable weather conditions. During the approach, after the autopilot had been deactivated, the aircraft initially remained stable. However, at a critical distance from the runway, the rate of descent increased unexpectedly and, despite the flight instructor's intervention at short notice, a severe impact could no longer be prevented. This sequence ultimately led to the dangerous tail impact.
damage and its consequences
After landing, the aircraft's internal warning system reported a tail strike, and ground technicians confirmed damage to the lower fuselage skin after inspection, including scratches and a crack.
The impact also caused the internal structure of the cargo hold to crack and deform. This damage, which particularly affects the stability of the aircraft, is so extensive that the aircraft will remain out of service until further notice. However, as the incident took place at China Southern Airlines' home airport, maintenance could be initiated more quickly, which should enable a speedy repair.
Safety-related background and the rare but risky rear-end collision
Tail strikes are a rare but risky type of aircraft incident that can occur especially with large, elongated aircraft such as the Boeing 787. They occur when the rear of the aircraft hits the ground during takeoff or landing, which can cause significant structural damage. The causes are often an excessive angle of attack of the aircraft or incorrect trimming, which can lead to faulty pitch control. Pilots are prepared to avoid such incidents through training and continuous simulations. Advanced on-board systems and sensors also warn of excessively steep rotation and help to minimize the risk of tail strikes.
However, safety depends heavily on the interaction between man and technology. The manual landing maneuver that the co-pilot performed in this case required extreme precision and fine control. An automatic landing approach reduces many of these risks and is therefore often preferred for such machines. Nevertheless, training in manual landings is part of pilot training to prepare pilots to control the aircraft alone in the event of technical failures.
Similar incidents and reactions of authorities
The incident at China Southern Airlines is not an isolated case in Chinese aviation: a similar incident occurred in 2020 with a Shanghai Airlines Boeing 737-800. Here, too, the tail of the aircraft was severely damaged, which required extensive repairs and a long downtime. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) confirmed the current case and launched an investigation to determine possible causes and preventive measures. In the context of international aviation safety, incidents of this kind are carefully examined to see whether guidelines on automated landings or training in manual landing exercises need to be improved.
Internationally, airlines are also increasingly relying on sophisticated safety technologies and training to minimize risks during takeoff and landing. The technology of advanced landing and stabilization systems is particularly important in large and international aircraft such as the Boeing 787, as the potential costs of a tail impact put a strain on the entire operating budget due to the extent of the damage, long downtimes and increased maintenance costs.
Passenger reports and airline reactions
The passengers on board described the landing as "unusually hard"; some reported that the strong impact made them feel weightless for a short time before the plane touched down firmly on the ground. China Southern Airlines has not yet commented in detail on the incident, but the airline is trying to avoid such incidents in the future by conducting comprehensive inspections and, if necessary, making structural adjustments to affected models. This is also part of the high safety standards in global aviation, where incidents such as rear impacts are largely avoided through modernization and technical developments.
The landing incident underlines the importance of regular training for pilots, especially for risky maneuvers such as manual landings without assistance systems. The discussion also remains open as to whether the requirements for manual landing maneuvers should be tightened, especially for large models such as the Boeing 787, or whether standardized assistance procedures should be further promoted in these flight phases.
and 