The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management intend to follow the recommendations of the Dutch Safety Board. Due to the short time frame between the publication of the report and the response of the parties addressed, the parties have not yet been able to concretely implement the recommendations. How this will be followed up will have to be seen in the future.
Following up the recommendations should increase the safety of people living near airports. The Dutch Safety Board published the report ‘Engine failure during initial climb, Boeing 747-412BCF, Meerssen’ in April 2023, after an engine failure caused debris to come down in the village of Meerssen. Due to the falling debris, two people were injured and there was damage to houses and cars. The incident reinforced the feeling of insecurity among local residents of Maastricht Aachen Airport, where the aircraft took off. Despite the faling engine, the aircraft was able to continue flying and diverted to Liege Airport in Belgium, where a safe landing was made.
The Dutch Safety Board’s full response and the received responses can be found on the investigation page ‘Engine failure during initial climb, Boeing 747-412BCF, Meerssen’.