A tail struck incident occurred during a go-around at Singapore Changi Airport.
SINGAPORE — A Singapore Airlines (SIA) Airbus A350-900 remains grounded at Changi Airport for significant repairs after its tail struck the runway during an aborted landing attempt on Saturday evening.
The aircraft, registered as 9V-SHW, was operating flight SQ917 from Manila to Singapore on January 24, 2026. According to flight data and airline officials, the incident occurred at approximately 6:07 PM local time as the crew attempted to land on Runway 02L.
The Incident
Amidst reported windy conditions, the flight crew initiated a “rejected landing” or go-around maneuver from a low altitude of approximately 75 feet. During the transition to climb, the aircraft’s pitch caused the lower section of the rear fuselage to make contact with the runway surface.
Social media images appearing shortly after the event showed visible damage, including:
- Scrape marks and structural damage to the empennage lower skin.
- The dislodgement of the APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) exhaust tail cone fairing.
Despite the impact, the aircraft successfully climbed to a holding pattern at 4,000 feet. After conducting safety checks, the crew performed a second approach and landed safely on Runway 02C at 6:32 PM, roughly 25 minutes after the initial strike.
Passenger Safety and Status
Singapore Airlines confirmed that all 256 passengers and 16 crew members on board disembarked normally at the terminal. No injuries were reported.
“The aircraft taxied to the terminal uneventfully, and all customers and crew disembarked normally,” an SIA spokesperson stated, adding that the airline is cooperating with relevant authorities to investigate the cause of the strike.
Aircraft Grounding
The 4-year-old Airbus A350-941 has been removed from service and is currently undergoing a thorough structural assessment. Flight tracking data shows that the aircraft has remained stationary at Changi Airport since the incident, with several subsequent scheduled flights being reassigned to other aircraft in the SIA fleet.
