PUBLISHED ONJune 30, 2025 7:25 AMByKhoo Yi-HangFour pilots in Vietnam have been suspended after two planes came into contact with each other on the ground at Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport last Friday (June 27), according to multiple reports by Vietnamese media.
The planes belong to Vietnam Airlines.
In a video of the incident, the wing of a Boeing 787 can be seen gliding by the rear end of a stationary Airbus A321 as it travels across the taxiway.
The B787's wing then comes into contact with the A321's rear rudder, causing it to bend as the B787 pushes forward.
The B787 stops briefly— but then continues forward, further bending the A321's rudder and causing the entire plane to rotate slightly on the spot.
The rudder soon gives way and the wing slices through it, exiting on the other side as the B787 continues to taxi.
The B787 then comes to a stop shortly after as the video ends.
According to Vietnamese publication Nguoi Lao Dong last Friday, the incident occurred around 2.20pm (3.20pm, Singapore time), causing damage to both the B787's right wingtip and the A321's vertical tail and rudder.
Both crew and all 386 passengers were brought back to the terminal safely and put on replacement flights to continue their journey, Nguoi Lao Dong reported.
Debris was spotted at the scene, which was cleared by 3.30pm later that afternoon.
"Immediately after the incident, Noi Bai International Airport coordinated with relevant units to inspect the scene, towed the two planes to a safe parking position, cleared and cleaned the taxiways S and S3," a spokesperson for the airport said, according to Vietnamese publication Quang Ninh.
Four pilots have been suspended pending investigation, Vietnamese publication Dan Tri reported last Saturday.
An independent investigation team was also put together to work with the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) to determine the cause of the incident.
Nguoi Lao Dong also reported that the CAAV assessed the incident as a serious incident, designating it "level B".
This means that the incident has caused compromised safety leading to temporary closure of runways, taxiways, aircraft parking lots or temporary closure of airports.
On Sunday (June 29), the CAAV issued urgent instructions to step up inspection, evaluation and internal monitoring on flights as well as review operational procedures to improve safety, Vietnamese publication Lang Son reported.
Pilots must comply with standard operating procedures during taxiing, take-off and landing such as conducting taxiway meetings before each flight or increasing observation during taxiing, it said.
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