Lufthansa Airbus A340-600 Returns To Boston Twice In 2 Days

On November 8th, a Lufthansa flight departing Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) with service to Munich Airport (MUC) returned to BOS shortly after departure on two separate departure attempts. The flight was ultimately canceled, and the passengers were rerouted to MUC. No injuries were reported in association with this incident.

Safety diversion

Lufthansa flight LH425, operated on an Airbus A340 registered D-AIHP, initially departed BOS for MUC at 20:18 ET. The aircraft climbed to flight level 270, where it leveled off prematurely. After roughly 12 minutes at this altitude, the flight crew informed Air Traffic Control (ATC) that it would need to return to BOS for a technical failure. The pilots were required to dump fuel over the Atlantic Ocean to be under max landing weight. The flight landed safely on runway 33L approximately 80 minutes after the initial departure.

Photo: FlightRadar24

The airplane underwent maintenance inspections for several hours before the flight could be resumed. The second departure occurred at 01:06 ET on November 9th. This flight met a similar fate to the last when at flight level 270, the aircraft leveled off, and the pilots reported an engine malfunction to ATC and requested to return to BOS. Once again, the pilots needed to dump fuel over the ocean before returning to ensure that the airplane was under max landing weight, which is lighter than max takeoff weight. This flight landed safely on runway 33L roughly one hour after departure.

Photo: FlightRadar24

The A340 was reportedly having problems with its number 2 engine. Simple Flying has reached out to Lufthansa concerning the cause of this event. This article will be updated once a response has been received.

The passengers of flight LH425 were rerouted to their final destinations as the flight was canceled. The flight resumed on schedule the following evening when another Airbus A340 registered D-AIHI was placed on the route. Lufthansa has yet to make an official statement concerning the flight and what accommodations were made for the delayed passengers.

The airplane

The original A340 in question remains on the apron at BOS while it receives necessary maintenance. It is currently unclear then the widebody jet will return to service. The 281-seat A340 joined the Lufthansa fleet in 2006 and has been operated by the carrier ever since. Used primarily for long-haul flights, the widebody jet has accrued over 52,000 flight hours on over 5,000 flights. The 16-year-old aircraft is expected to retire next year. However, with many aircraft deliveries being delayed due to the pandemic, this retirement may be pushed back in accordance with the airline’s needs.

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Recent diversion

This past August, a Lufthansa Boeing 747 diverted to BOS as a safety precaution. Flight LH403 was scheduled to travel between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Frankfurt Airport (FRA). Shortly after departing EWR, the flight crew decided to divert to BOS after the pilots noticed smoke in the cockpit. The flight landed safely, and passengers were rerouted to their final destinations.

What do you think of these diversions? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: The Aviation Herald, FlightRadar24, ch-aviation