Several netizens reported on October 23 that on October 21, a plane from China Southern Airlines, operating flight CZ3534 from Shanghai Hongqiao to Guangzhou Baiyun, allegedly experienced a “tail strike” incident upon landing at Baiyun Airport.
A passenger recounted to “21st Century Business Herald” the harrowing moment of the day, describing how his legs felt as if they were touching the cement ground directly during the landing, followed by a sudden loss of weight.
According to information circulating within the civil aviation industry, on that day, the co-pilot of the flight had reportedly requested to practice a non-precision approach before landing, and the instructor approved after assessing the weather conditions in Guangzhou. The crew maintained an altitude of 900 meters on all sides, disengaged the autopilot upon receiving clearance for approach, and proceeded to conduct a blind landing on runway 02L under manual control by the co-pilot.
It was mentioned in the message that before approaching the runway, the aircraft was slightly high, and the crew made a minor adjustment by pushing the control column. After approaching the runway, the aircraft descended too fast, prompting the instructor in the left seat to pull the control column. Subsequently, the aircraft touched down, and the co-pilot initiated reverse thrust, causing the plane to slightly bounce, reaching a height of approximately 3 feet before landing back. The crew continued to pull the control column backward, and the aircraft touched down again. The co-pilot maintained reverse thrust, and the aircraft decelerated normally. After leaving the runway, the crew observed EICAS messages for AUTO THROTTLE DISC and TAIL STRIKE. Upon inspection, signs of tail strike were found with the lower fuselage skin showing substantial abrasions and a visible crack, along with multiple fractured frames in the cargo compartment.
The term “tail strike” refers to the phenomenon where the aircraft’s tail makes contact with the runway surface during takeoff or landing due to improper pitch handling, resulting in a slight bounce after landing.
Reportedly, the aircraft involved was a Boeing B787-9, an extended version of the Boeing 787-8 with an increase in body length of about 6 meters. A senior civil aviation pilot noted that the risk of a “tail strike” is inherently higher with the B787-9, but the occurrence of the accident should be largely attributed to pilot error, possibly due to the failure to timely control the descent rate after approaching the runway.
According to “Red Star News,” a tail strike could lead to severe damage to the aircraft structure, resulting in repair costs of millions of dollars and revenue loss. The key to avoiding tail strikes lies in continuous training for flight crews and adherence to landing procedures.
The authenticity of the aforementioned information has not been officially confirmed by China Southern Airlines. However, the airline’s customer service responded to “Red Star News” on October 24, stating that the aircraft completed the flight from Shanghai Hongqiao to Guangzhou Baiyun but has no flight records so far and no flight schedules until November.
In a Weibo post, the author “Uncle Zhibin” claimed that on October 21, a China Southern Airlines B787 aircraft on the Shanghai-Guangzhou route experienced a “tail strike” incident due to the use of a non-precision approach, resulting in severe damage to the all-carbon fiber fuselage beyond repair and declared a total loss. It was also reported that several frames in the cargo compartment were fractured, indicating the severity of the situation at the time.
Responding to netizens, “Uncle Zhibin” further revealed, “As I understand it, both co-pilots have been banned from flying in civil aviation for life.”
The story gained traction on hot searches on October 24. Netizens expressed their concerns, with some commenting on the need for stricter regulations and operational standards for pilots to ensure aviation safety and prevent such incidents from happening again.