A China Southern Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner suffered structural damage following a heavy landing at Guangzhou Airport on Monday. The aircraft, operating as flight CZ3534 from Shanghai, experienced a tail strike while landing on Runway 02L.
Flight data from FlightRadar24 shows that the aircraft, a 6.5-year-old Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner registered as B-1243, took off from Shanghai at 3:05 AM UTC. After a one hour and 50-minute flight, the plane made hard contact with the runway, experiencing a force of 2.47g on touchdown. Despite the tail strike, the aircraft taxied to its assigned gate.
The incident caused damage to the rear fuselage, which is constructed from carbon fiber barrel composite materials, making repair more complex compared to traditional plated aluminum structures. The aircraft, powered by GEnX engines, remains grounded while assessments are made to determine whether repairs are possible.
For more information on the aircraft, visit: https://b787register.co.uk/airframe.php?ln=0699