A Turkish Airlines flight from Munich to Istanbul, Turkey made a precautionary return to Munich after flight crew suspected a tail strike had occurred on takeoff.
On March 30, Turkish Airlines flight TK1636, operated by an Airbus A330-300, had departed Munich International Airport (MUC) when the crew reported the suspected issue.
Turkish Airlines TK1636 Munich-Istanbul
Flight crew noted what they believed to be a tail strike during the takeoff procedure, and subsequently terminated the climb.
A precautionary return to Munich was negotiated, and the aircraft subsequently made an uneventful landing.
Inspection Reveals No Damage
The subsequent ground inspection of the aircraft did not reveal any damage consistent with a tail strike.
Following the assessment, the aircraft then made a second departure for Istanbul, arriving in the Turkish capital after a delay of approximately 2 ¾ hours.
The aircraft subsequently continued operational service from Istanbul.
Flight data shows that flight TK1636 made a slightly delayed departure out of Munich, showing an actual time of departure of 19:49 local time. Scheduled departure for the service was listed as 19:11 local time.
The flight then set course normally, and was on climb below 10,000 feet. From there the crew made the decision to carry out a precautionary return.
The climb was subsequently terminated at 8000 feet and the aircraft landed approximately 30 minutes after initial departure.
The aircraft did not declare a formal emergency, and made the return under normal operating procedures.
Flight TK1636 to Istanbul was conducted by an Airbus A330-300, registered TC-JOI. This is a nine-year old wide-body aircraft belonging to the Turkish national carrier Turkish Airlines.
The aircraft has been in active service since its initial ferry from the factory in May 2015.
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