A Korean Air Boeing 787-9 arriving from Seoul, South Korea sustained damage as a result of a bird strike on approach to Da Nang Vietnam. Korean air flight KE461, operated by a Boeing 787-9, was conducting an arrival from Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN). The flight was given a clearance to land on runway 35L Da Nang International Airport (DAD). During the subsequent approach, the aircraft sustained a bird strike.
The flight conducted a normal landing and vacated the active runway before taxiing to the apron hardstanding area. A subsequent postflight inspection of the aircraft revealed that the nose radome assembly was seriously damaged as a result of the incident.
As a result, the aircraft was unable to carry out the return service to Seoul Incheon, and the flight was cancelled. A photograph taken after landing reveals the extent of the nose radome damage. Flight data shows that flight KE461 had made an on-time departure from Seoul Incheon International Airport at 1836 local time on 20 October. The flight had then proceeded normally, climbing to flight level FL380 (38,000 feet) for the south-westerly service to Vietnam. Descent on approach procedures were similarly conducted normally, and the airframe damage was reported during the postflight inspection after landing.
The aircraft conducting the Korean Air KE461 service from Seoul was a Boeing 787-9, registered HL8081. This is a 7.8-year-old wide-body aircraft belonging to the carrier Korean Air. It has been an operational service with the airline since its initial delivery from the factory in February 2017.
