SINGAPORE 777-300ER SLIDES OFF RUNWAY AT MUNICH

Singapore Airlines B777-312ER 9V-SWQ sliding across Runway 08R at Munich Airport on the 3rd November 2011.

The German Bureau for Aviation Accident Investigation (BFU) released their investigation status report in their monthly bulletin in German reporting on approach the crew decided to perform a fully automatic landing into Munich’s runway 08R when it became clear the weather conditions were below the limits that permitted the the first officer, pilot flying for the leg, to fly the landing.

The captain (45, ATPL, 12,416 hours total, 4,712 hours on type) became pilot flying, the first officer (35, ATPL, 3,681 hours total, 3,681 hours on type) became pilot monitoring. The airport was operating according to CAT I standards (no low visibility procedures in use). The aircraft was cleared for an ILS approach to runway 08R.

When the Boeing 777-300 was about 2.1nm before touch down a BAe Avro began its takeoff run on runway 08R. The Boeing 777 was subsequently cleared to land on runway 08R, winds from 130 degrees at 7 knots. When the Boeing 777-300 crossed the runway threshold, the Jumbolino was climbing out still short of the runway end.

A number of aircraft were holding before the CAT II/III hold short lines (outside the runway protected area).

6 seconds after the Boeing crossed the threshold the Jumbolino crossed the runway end, at the time of touchdown of the Boeing the Jumbolino was climbing out just past the runway end, 26 seconds after the Boeing crossed the threshold the Jumbolino overflew the localizer antenna in a height of 740 feet.

When the Boeing 777-300 descended through 30 feet AGL, the aircraft began to roll left, the left main gear touched down first about 490 meters/1610 feet past the threshold, the autopilot changed into roll out mode. The aircraft rolled towards the left edge of the runway and crossed the runway edge at about taxiway B4 1100 meters/3610 feet down the runway. At this point rudder inputs by the crew prompted the autopilot to disengage. The aircraft rolled in a slight right turn over grass for about 400 meters/1310 feet, reaching the farthest point of excursion to the left 1300 meters/4260 feet past the runway threshold, before it crossed the runway edge again onto the runway and crossed the runway at a track of 121 degrees magnetic crossing the right runway edge 1620 meters/5310 feet down the runway. The aircraft came to a stop south of the runway on grass about 60 meters off the runway and 1780 meters/5840 feet past the runway threshold.

Emergency services arrived about 2 minutes after landing, the passengers disembarked via two mobile stairs provided by fire brigades. No injuries occurred, the aircraft received no damage, there was only some dirt on the landing gear. The tracks in the grass had a maximum depth of 15cm (6 inches).

The BFU reported the captain said in an interview that he attempted a go-around when the aircraft began to roll left, according to his testimony he pressed the TO/GA button, the aircraft however did not respond. The captain also said that he retracted the ground spoilers that automatically extended upon touchdown.

The BFU reported that the flight data recorder showed all three ILS receivers recorded localizer signal deviations in both directions about 14 seconds before the autopilot changed into roll out mode, about 6 seconds prior to the roll out mode the localizer deviation increasingly showed a deviation of the aircraft to the right of the extended center line. The aircraft began to roll left in response to autopilot inputs to minimize the localizer deviation and reached 3.5 degrees bank angle to the left when the autopilot changed to roll out.

There were no indications of the TO/GA button being pressed on the flight data recorder, the flight data recorder showed that the ground spoilers extended about 2 seconds prior to the autopilot changing to roll out and retracted 10 seconds later. The cockpit voice recorder captured the captain commanding "flaps 20" and several sounds that were consistent with the TO/GA button being pressed two times and the speed brake handle being moved.

A Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300, registration 9V-SWQ performing flight SQ-327 from Manchester,EN (UK) to Munich (Germany) with 143 passengers and 15 crew, veered right off runway 08R while landing in Munich at about 12:10L (11:10Z) and came to a stop with all three gear off the paved surface. The passengers disembarked via mobile stairs, no injuries occurred.

Munich’s southern runway was closed until about 19:30L (originally estimated until 22:00L).

A number of passengers reported in common, that the aircraft touched down unusually hard, veered to the left exiting the runway to the left, then veered right and crossed the runway before coming to a stand still right off the runway. After about 15 minutes the passengers disembarked through the two forward left hand doors, there was no visible damage to the aircraft. The onward leg to Singapore was cancelled, the passengers are currently being rebooked onto other flights to Singapore.

Observer "Flyer" on the ground said the aircraft touched down past the 1000 feet marker but within the touch down zone, veered left beyond the left runway edge onto grass between taxiways B4 and B6, then veered right and went across the runway exiting the runway to the right before coming to a stand still.

The incident aircraft was able to leave Munich for Singapore as flight SQ-327F on Nov 5th.