Munich Airport's Runway 26L Under Scrutiny After Second Widebody Incident in Days
A Lufthansa Airbus A380 has damaged runway approach lighting at Munich Airport after landing prematurely, marking the second serious incident involving a widebody aircraft on the same runway in just days.
The incident occurred on August 17, 2026, when the superjumbo, operating Flight LH459 from San Francisco with 351 passengers aboard, touched down before the marked runway threshold and struck approach lights installed just ahead of that point. The aircraft continued its rollout and taxied normally to the gate without reported injuries.
The A380's tires were also damaged in the contact, and it has been taken out of service pending a detailed inspection to assess any structural impact. Munich Airport operates two parallel runways, with Runway 26L being the same one where a Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787-9 overran the departure end on August 15.
Lufthansa confirmed that all passengers disembarked normally at the terminal and that it is fully supporting an investigation opened by Germany's Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation. The BFU will review flight data, cockpit voice recordings, and examine factors such as weather conditions, runway surface state, and crew actions to determine why the A380 touched down early.