A Cargolux Boeing 747-400F operating from Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) to Luxembourg Findel Airport (LUX) sustained minor damage after one of its left engines tapped the runway. The pilots initiated a go-around, and the aircraft landed safely on its second attempt.
The flight, operating as CV-7545 from Dubai, departed on April 15th at 14:10, taking a six-hour and twenty-five-minute journey back to Luxembourg. However, when attempting to touch down at Findel, the carrier grazed the runway, so the captain decided to abort the landing and initiated a go-around, reaching 4,000 feet before attempting to land a second time. The airliner was safely back on the ground at 18:45.
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LX-ECV
The 14-year-old Boeing 747-400F(ER) holds the registration LX-ECV and, according to Flightradar24, had initially been operating a return service to Taipei from Luxembourg when the flight was diverted to Dubai before continuing onto Europe. As expected, the aircraft has not yet recorded another flight since the incident. Cargolux, one of the world’s largest cargo carriers globally, operates an all-Boeing 747 fleet of 30 aircraft and utilizes its unique location in Europe between Belgium, France, and Germany to avail its cargo operations to the world.
As reported by RTL, the incident was witnessed by many and has been reported to the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DAC) within the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. As noted by Cargolux, an internal investigation has been launched. The carrier has released this statement:
“(The pilots) aborted their first landing attempt and completed an extra turn. They landed safely on the second attempt.
“(The aircraft) suffered damage during the first landing attempt and will remain on the ground while carrying out the necessary inspections and repairs.”
No injuries reported
The airline has also confirmed that no crew member was injured on the plane, nor was any personnel present on the ground, a welcome relief for the many aviation photographers and staff that witnessed the event unfold.
In 2021, another Cargolux 747 got into strife when LX-VCE, a Boeing 747-8F, clipped a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 (registration N218WN) at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). This led to both flights being canceled. Fortunately, the Cargolux aircraft attained minor to no damage in this instance. However, the Southwest aircraft incurred a broken winglet.
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Ninety global destinations
The cargo carrier is based out of Luxembourg’s Findel Airport, serving 90 global destinations. It holds a subsidiary, Cargolux Italia, which operates predominantly from Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP). In addition to its operations in the air, it maintains a robust trucking network to more than 250 destinations worldwide.
Sources: Aviation Herald, Twitter, RTL