A Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operated by El Al Israel Airlines bound for Tokyo from Tel Aviv on Saturday suffered engine issues soon after departure, prompting the aircraft to make an emergency landing. The aircraft was airborne for less than 30 minutes before the crew decided to return to Tel Aviv.
The incident comes as similar emergencies involving the 787’s engines have occurred recently. Additionally, deliveries of the widebody jet have been off to a slow start this year after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily halted Boeing from delivering new aircraft due to a problem with the plane’s fuselage.
Details of the incident
The 787-8, registered as 4X-ERB, was operating as El Al flight 91 (LY91). According to data from FlightRadar24.com, the Dreamliner departed its gate at terminal three at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv at 23:20 on Saturday. The aircraft would then taxi to departure on Runway 26. LY91 took off at 23:37, three minutes early than scheduled.
With around 150 passengers onboard, the aircraft climbed steadily to its cruising altitude. At 15,000 feet, the pilots stopped the climb and decided to turn the aircraft around to head back to Tel Aviv. The plane landed safely on Runway 12 at 00:14, nearly 40 minutes after departure. According to The Times of Israel, El Al confirmed that the crew experienced technical issues with one of the aircraft’s Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines.
Some passengers onboard also recalled the incident.
“Suddenly 20 minutes after take-off, they said there was a problem with the engine and that they were landing the plane back [at the airport]. It was very stressful.”
Another traveler on the flight reportedly said that other passengers had no idea what was happening. Once the aircraft was on the ground, the passengers were informed to deplane and wait in the terminal as the airline scrambled to find a replacement aircraft.
A 13-hour delay
According to The Aviation Herald, El Al deployed 4X-ERC, another 787-8, as a replacement for the flight. The plane made it to Narita International Airport in Tokyo around 13 hours after 4X-ERB was initially supposed to arrive.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying
Data from FlightRadar24.com indicates that 4X-ERB is still on the ground in Tel Aviv but is scheduled to reenter service on Monday, operating LY315 from Tel Aviv to London.
Challenges with the Dreamliner
Unfortunately, engine issues regarding El Al’s 787 Dreamliners have occurred in the past.
According to The Times of Israel, a public broadcaster said the emergency landing on Saturday was the second incident in the last two months on an El Al-operated flight from Tel Aviv to Tokyo.
Earlier this month, an El Al 787-9 experienced engine issues during a flight from Tel Aviv to Los Angeles. Similar to LY91, the aircraft reached an altitude of 14,000 feet before powering down one engine and rerouting back to Tel Aviv.
Photo: Martin Maun/Shutterstock
Boeing has somewhat been in hot water with the FAA regarding its Dreamliners. Last month, the agency cleared the manufacturing company to resume deliveries after halting them in February due to an issue related to the fuselage components.
Earlier this month, the FAA ordered aircraft inspections after discovering leaky faucets in the lavatories.
Sources: The Times of Israel, The Aviation Herald
