On 6th October, an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 suffered a tail strike while landing at Lubumbashi Airport in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787-9 with registration ET-AYC was performing flight ET877 from Lilongwe to Lubumbashi. Before landing safely, the crew performed a go-around and continued for another approach. However, on landing at Lubumbashi’s runway 07, the aircraft struck its tail on the runway.
The aircraft however, went on to land safely with no injuries, and all occupants disembarking using airstairs.
But an inspection confirmed that the 787 had suffered a tail strike. After the accident, the aircraft remained on the ground for just under 24 hours. It then took off as a non-revenue flight (ET-9201), heading for the airline’s base at Addis Ababa Bole Airport in Ethiopia.
The aircraft hasn’t flown again since. This is a very young Boeing 787-9. Ethiopian picked up this two-and-a-half-year-old jet in October 2020.
This jet had first flown the previous April, so it had gotten out of the production line just a few months before the 787 groundings of that year. Ethiopian has 27 787s, most of them smaller 787-8s. It has just 8 787-9s, of which everyone is currently active – except the one in this accident.
