Lufthansa B733 at Katowice on May 2nd 2015, engines disloged runway pavement, debris struck horizontal stabilizer, aircraft flew to destination

Last Update: June 8, 2015 / 23:11:23 GMT/Zulu time

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Photo of Lufthansa D-ABEK, Boeing 737-300 — Lufthansa D-ABEK, Boeing 737-300 (Photo credit: flybyeigenheer / Flickr / License: CC by-sa)

Incident Facts

Date of incident
May 2, 2015

Classification
Accident

Airline
Lufthansa

Flight number
LH-1363

Departure
Katowice, Poland

Destination
Frankfurt/Main, Germany

Aircraft Registration
D-ABEK

Aircraft Type
Boeing 737-300

ICAO Type Designator
B733

Airport
Katowice International Airport, Katowice

Airport ICAO Code
EPKT

A Lufthansa Boeing 737-300, registration D-ABEK performing flight LH-1363 from Katowice (Poland) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), had lined up (old) runway 27 for departure, the tail of the aircraft extended to before the runway threshold lights. The aircraft was subsequently cleared for takeoff from Katowice's runway 27 and accelerated the engines when parts of the asphalt pavement were blown up by the engines' jet streams, debris impacted the left hand stabilizer. The crew, unaware of the damage, continued the flight and landed the aircraft safely in Frankfurt. Only there it was discovered the aircraft had sustained substantial damage to the left hand horizontal stabilizer.

Poland's State Commission on Aircraft Accident Investigations (PKBWL) opened an investigation into the occurrence reporting: The aircraft taxied onto the runway via taxiways E and F and lined up at the threshold of runway 27 with the tail of the aircraft above and before the runway threshold lights. After receiving takeoff clearance, when the engines were accelerated, parts of the asphalt pavement were blown off the ground by the jet stream off the engines and struck the left hand stabilizer. The crew, "blissfully unaware of the damage", made the cruise to Frankfurt, where substantial damage to the left hand horizontal stabilizer was discovered.

The occurrence aircraft returned to service on May 17th 2015.

Radar data confirm the aircraft took off the old runway 27, since May 28th 2015 used as taxiway with the new runway 27 to the north now in operation.

Metars:
EPKT 020600Z 01007KT 6000 FEW004 SCT006 08/07 Q1008=
EPKT 020530Z 01005KT 4000 BR FEW004 08/07 Q1008=
EPKT 020500Z 01004KT 350V060 2000 BR NSC 07/07 Q1008=
EPKT 020430Z 35003KT 280V020 1800 BR NSC 07/07 Q1007=
EPKT 020400Z 36002KT 1600 BR NSC 07/07 Q1007=
EPKT 020330Z 34003KT 2000 MIFG BR FEW001 07/07 Q1007=
EPKT 020300Z 07003KT 2500 MIFG BR NSC 07/07 Q1006=
EPKT 020230Z 07002KT 4000 BR NSC 07/07 Q1006=
EPKT 020200Z 08002KT 3000 BR NSC 07/07 Q1006=
EPKT 020130Z 05002KT 2000 BR NSC 07/07 Q1006=
EPKT 020100Z 36003KT 1200 R27/2000 BR NSC 07/07 Q1006=