Investigation Summary
Takeoff performance for the departure was calculated for a takeoff weight some 100 tonnes below the aircraft's actual weight, the result of a mental-arithmetic error by the Line Training Captain. The rotation speed entered was 149 kt against the 181 kt required, so the aircraft was rotated far too slowly for its weight and the rear fuselage contacted the runway during rotation. This is the opposite of an over-rotation. The tail cut a groove 723 m long and up to 6 cm deep in runway 35L before the aircraft lifted off at about 178-180 kt, crossing the opposite threshold at roughly 155 ft; TOGA thrust was selected about 8 seconds after the strike. The crew declared PAN PAN PAN, jettisoned about 72 tonnes of fuel at 6,000 ft and returned to Malpensa. Runway 35L was temporarily closed and the aircraft remained out of service until 22 February 2025. The ANSV also recorded that the pilots had deviated from the procedure requiring independent calculation of the performance figures and did not understand the FMC "V-SPEEDS UNAVAILABLE" message that followed.
Final Conclusions
The ANSV published its final report on 6 February 2026 and closed the investigation, reclassifying the occurrence from serious incident to accident. The cause was rotation at a speed significantly below that required for the actual takeoff weight, after performance data was calculated for a weight 100 tonnes below actual following a mental-arithmetic error by the Line Training Captain. Contributing factors were the pilots' deviation from the procedure requiring independent calculation, their failure to understand the FMC "V-SPEEDS UNAVAILABLE" message, and the absence of onboard weighing and takeoff performance monitoring systems.
Video Analysis
LATAM 777 Tailstrike at Milan Malpensa — CCTV and bystander footage showing the moment the LATAM Boeing 777-300ER strikes its tail on the runway during departure.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Systems & Failure Modes
FMC (Flight Management Computer)
The system where pilots input takeoff speeds (V1, Vr, V2) based on aircraft weight.
Tail Skid Assembly
A protective device designed to absorb impact during over-rotation, which was heavily damaged.
Fuel Jettison System
Used to dump fuel to reach Maximum Landing Weight (MLW) for an immediate return.
Interesting Facts
- 01Takeoff performance was calculated for a weight 100 tonnes below the aircraft's actual takeoff weight.
- 02The rotation speed used was 149 kt; 181 kt was required for the actual weight.
- 03The tail cut a groove 723 m long and up to 6 cm deep in runway 35L, which was temporarily closed.
- 04All 398 occupants were uninjured; the crew declared PAN PAN, not a Mayday.
- 05The aircraft remained out of service until 22 February 2025.
- 06The ANSV final report of 6 February 2026 reclassified the event from serious incident to accident.
Safety Actions & Advisories
ANSV safety recommendations
Source ↗The ANSV endorsed takeoff performance monitoring systems (TOPMS) and onboard weighing systems, in line with EASA NPA 2025-01.
Operator action
LATAM added a third EFB cross-check of takeoff performance data.
Location
APPROXIMATE AREA ONLY · This position predates coordinate provenance tracking. Treat it as an approximate marker for the area, not the accident site. No map is shown, because a marker here would imply a precision the record does not have.
Reported location: Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP), Italy