Vietnam Airlines flight VN34 from Munich, Germany, to Ha Noi, which departed at 13:45 on 15/8 local time, had to return and make an emergency landing at Munich Airport two hours later due to a technical issue.

Nguyen Ninh, who lives in Munich, had booked a ticket on flight VN34 to visit his hometown. Approximately 240 passengers, including both Vietnamese and international travelers, were on the same flight. The Boeing 787-9 was scheduled to land in Ha Noi at 5:30 am on 16/8. After that, Ninh planned to connect to Da Nang to meet his family. His wife and children had already returned to Vietnam, while he was traveling alone.

Ninh recounted that the plane departed the runway under clear, rain-free skies. During takeoff, he noticed the aircraft's run was longer than usual, extending almost to the end of the runway. As the nose lifted, a loud noise erupted.

About 30 minutes after leaving Munich, the plane reached a stable altitude. Passengers were then surprised to receive an announcement from the captain that the aircraft had a technical issue and needed to dump fuel before returning to the airport.

The atmosphere in the cabin shifted. Everyone remained seated, but their eyes showed worry. 10 minutes later, flight attendants distributed water and continued to explain that the plane had a technical issue and needed to return to the airport for inspection to ensure safety.

Sitting near the window, Ninh observed fuel being continuously discharged from both wings. On the screen in front of him, the plane icon began circling numerous times near Munich.

"Watching the plane dump fuel for over an hour made my mind race; I considered the worst possible outcomes," Ninh said. Despite having no network connection, he still messaged his daughter to inform her that the plane had an emergency and was dumping fuel.

At that time, although many people were anxious, there was no commotion. "Mostly foreigners were around me, and they remained quite calm," he recalled.

The plane landed safely at Munich Airport. Photo: Nguyen Ninh

After more than an hour of circling, the plane prepared to land, and flight attendants began instructing passengers on safety positions. Everyone had to remove their shoes, stow their luggage, take off glasses or any obstructive items, bend low, and protect their heads with their hands.

The Boeing 787-9 descended at the airport, then ascended again for two more circles before touching down. Inside the cabin, flight attendants repeatedly shouted, "Keep down." At that moment, everyone understood the serious situation, knowing a runway impact could occur, so they focused on following the instructions, Ninh stated.

The landing process was swift; the plane did not sway or shake violently. Flight attendants sat near the emergency exits, ready to open the doors for passenger evacuation. When the plane stopped, airport firefighters quickly approached and sprayed foam under the aircraft's belly.

"Once we were on the ground, I felt relieved to be safe," Ninh said. Near his row, a foreign woman burst into tears as the plane prepared to land. A father continuously reassured his wife and children. After the plane touched down, the entire family hugged and cried.

Passengers remained seated for about 10 minutes before disembarking and proceeding to the terminal, where they were taken to a nearby hotel for accommodation.

Passengers disembarking the plane after two hours of circling in Munich. Photo: Nguyen Ninh

Nguyen, who was also on flight VN34 with her husband and son, said that she felt something was unusual from the moment the plane began its takeoff roll. "Why is the plane taking longer to gain speed today than usual?" she recalled thinking at the time.

After takeoff, she felt loud noises and a slight jolt and vibration as the plane gained altitude. What impressed her most was the calm demeanor of the passengers in the cabin. No one screamed, pushed, or caused further panic. Each person seemed to contain their own fear to avoid adding stress to those beside them.

During the time the plane circled to dump fuel, Nguyen felt dizzy, but she tried to close her eyes, relax, and remain calm.

At one point, her son said: "Dad... I don't want to die." "No one in my family responded. Not because we didn't hear, but perhaps because no one knew what to say at that moment," she shared.

Nguyen believes the most important thing her family gained from the flight was the feeling of good fortune to return to solid ground. "We do not wish to assign blame to anyone because the incident still requires investigation. As passengers, we witnessed the crew handling an extremely stressful situation and ultimately bringing all passengers safely back to Munich," Nguyen stated.

According to information from the European aviation website Airlive, the Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787-9 performed a late takeoff and only left the ground near the end of the runway, causing the tail to strike the ground and create a large dust cloud.

After takeoff, the crew controlled the aircraft to an altitude of about 9,000 feet, then reported a tire pressure warning signal and announced the need to dump fuel before returning to the airport. The plane circled for about 90 minutes to dump fuel and reduce its weight to a safe level for landing.

The Boeing 787-9 made two low approaches to runway 26R before landing.

Doan Loan