Ethiopian Airlines Airbus A350 Suffers Wingtip Strike at Johannesburg

On 6th November 2021, an Ethiopian Airlines Airbus A350-900 suffered a right wingtip strike, associated with a hard landing, at Johannesburg OR Tambo International airport.

According to AvHerald, the one and half year old aircraft, with registration ET-AYB and performing flight ET-809 from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Johannesburg, South Africa, touched down hard on Johannesburg’s runway 03R. The landing was rejected and and the aircraft climbed back out, it then landed without further incident about 20 minutes later.

According to the transmitted ADS-B data, the aircraft was descending at 500+ fpm at the time of touchdown. The aircraft touched down about 120 meters/400 feet past the runway threshold (past the runway numbers but before the first touch down zone marker) it then shifted 12 degrees to the right and left the runway; the aircraft then climbed through 400 feet AGL, about 460 meters/1500 feet to the right of the runway centreline and overflying the hangars east of the runway.

South Africa’s CAA reported that they were notified of an incident involving an Ethiopian A350-900 and that they had dispatched investigators to the site. The aircraft is still on the ground 12 days after the incident, for a long-term repair.

Cover photo by: AvHerald