What happened
On the route from Frankfurt to Saarbrücken, a Lufthansa flight, designated LH1745, experienced a runway excursion during its landing phase. Upon touching down on the wet surface of runway 27, the crew initiated braking maneuvers; however, the aircraft could not decelerate sufficiently before the end of the paved area. The plane subsequently exited the runway and struck multiple trees.
While the aircraft sustained damage beyond repair, there were no fatalities among the 16 occupants. The rescue operations successfully recovered everyone on board, though two passengers sustained minor injuries during the incident.
Findings
Investigations into the accident highlighted that the wet condition of the runway significantly decreased the braking coefficient. A critical factor in the inability to stop was the failure of the thrust reverser deployment. While the reverse system on engine n°2 was engaged, the reversers on engines n°1 and 3 failed to activate for reasons that remain undetermined, leading to insufficient deceleration on the slippery surface.