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Serious Incident in Munich: Boeing 777 Runway Excursion During Autoland

München, DE

On November 3, 2011, a Boeing B 777-300 ER was involved in an aviation accident near München, DE. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The serious incident was caused by the crew's decision to conduct an automatic landing without the ground prerequisites for a safe landing, the disturbance of the localizer signal by a departing BAE 146-RJ85, the autopilot remaining engaged after touchdown… This summary draws on records from the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU).

Sourcesthe German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU)Primary reportUpdated 2026-10-11Data APIEditorial standards

On 3 November 2011, a Boeing 777-300 ER veered off runway 08R in Munich during an automatic landing. The incident was caused by the crew's decision to conduct an autoland without ground prerequisites, a disturbed localizer signal from a departing BAe 146-RJ85, the autopilot remaining engaged after touchdown, and the crew's failure to notice deactivation of go-around automation. No injuries or aircraft damage occurred.

Event Summary

On 3 November 2011, a Boeing 777-300 ER operated a flight from Manchester to Munich. The crew had flown from Singapore to Munich on 1 November, then to Manchester and back on the day of the incident. On board were 147 passengers, 13 flight attendants, and two pilots. Initially, the copilot was pilot flying, but based on weather conditions at Munich – visibility 2,000 meters and cloud ceiling 300 feet – the pilot in command assumed the role of pilot flying as per the operator's standard operating procedures. The PIC decided to perform an automatic approach and landing.

During the final approach to runway 08R, the aircraft received instructions from Munich Director. At approximately 12:00 UTC, the crew was cleared for the ILS approach. Shortly after touchdown, the aircraft veered left off the runway, crossed the runway, and came to a stop on the opposite side. There were no injuries to occupants and no damage to the aircraft, though ground damage was reported.

Investigation Findings

The German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) determined that the localizer signal was disturbed by a BAE 146-RJ85 that had taken off shortly before the B 777's landing. This disturbance caused the aircraft to deviate left before touchdown. Additionally, the autopilot remained engaged after touchdown, preventing the pilots from keeping the aircraft on the runway. The crew was confused by the aircraft's behavior and did not realize that the go-around automation had been deactivated by the first left main gear touchdown.

The BFU also identified that the operator's Flight Crew Operations Manual contained a recommendation allowing automatic landings under Category I conditions without considering the necessary ground prerequisites.

Causes

The immediate causes of the serious incident were:

  • The crew's decision to conduct an automatic landing when the ground prerequisites for a safe landing were not met.
  • The aircraft was displaced left shortly before touchdown by a disturbed localizer signal caused by a departing BAE 146-RJ85.
  • With the autopilot still engaged, the pilots could not keep the aircraft on the runway after touchdown.
  • The crew was irritated and did not notice that the go-around automation had been deactivated by the first left main gear touchdown.

A systemic cause was the company's FCOM recommendation, which allowed automatic landings under CAT I conditions without considering the required ground prerequisites.

Probable cause

The serious incident was caused by the crew's decision to conduct an automatic landing without the ground prerequisites for a safe landing, the disturbance of the localizer signal by a departing BAE 146-RJ85, the autopilot remaining engaged after touchdown preventing the pilots from keeping the aircraft on the runway, and the crew's failure to notice that the go-around automation had been deactivated by the first left main gear touchdown. A systemic cause was the company's Flight Crew Operations Manual recommendation allowing automatic landings under CAT I conditions without considering the necessary ground prerequisites.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 3 Nov 2011 Boeing B 777-300 ER accident near München, DE?

On 3 November 2011, a Boeing 777-300 ER veered off runway 08R in Munich during an automatic landing. The incident was caused by the crew's decision to conduct an autoland without ground prerequisites, a disturbed localizer signal from a departing BAe 146-RJ85, the autopilot remaining engaged after touchdown, and the…

Were there any fatalities in the 3 Nov 2011 Boeing B 777-300 ER accident?

No fatalities were recorded in this accident.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 3 Nov 2011 involved a Boeing B 777-300 ER, at München, DE.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The serious incident was caused by the crew's decision to conduct an automatic landing without the ground prerequisites for a safe landing, the disturbance of the localizer signal by a departing BAE 146-RJ85, the autopilot remaining engaged after touchdown preventing the pilots from keeping the aircraft on the…

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