On November 25, 2024, a team from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was dispatched to Lithuania to assist in the investigation of a DHL cargo plane crash near Vilnius International Airport. The incident involved a Boeing 737-400 operated by Swiftair on behalf of DHL, which occurred on November 24, 2024, resulting in the tragic loss of one crew member's life and injuries to three others. The crash took place during the plane's landing approach when it failed to deploy its landing gear properly, leading to an emergency landing that overshot the runway. The aircraft subsequently struck residential homes in the Liepkalnis area, causing fires to erupt from the impact.
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Lithuanian authorities, including the Ministry of Justice Transport Accident and Incident Investigation Division, have taken the lead in investigating this event, focusing on understanding the sequence of events leading to the crash, the cause of the landing gear malfunction, and examining the emergency response. The NTSB's involvement underscores the international cooperation in aviation safety, particularly given the aircraft's U.S. manufacturing origin.
The NTSB team includes experts from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing, who will collaborate with local investigators to analyze the aircraft's black boxes, the cockpit voice recorder, and flight data recorder. Their expertise will be crucial in piecing together the technical aspects of what went wrong. The presence of U.S. investigators is also aimed at ensuring that the investigation adheres to international standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
This incident has prompted a broader discussion on cargo flight safety, as these operations often undergo different scrutiny compared to passenger flights. The NTSB's involvement is not only to aid in the immediate investigation but also to contribute to the global pool of knowledge on aviation safety, potentially influencing future safety protocols or design considerations in similar aircraft models. The cooperation between Lithuanian and U.S. authorities highlights a commitment to transparency, thoroughness, and safety in air travel. The findings from this investigation will be crucial for both preventing similar accidents in the future and for providing closure to the affected families, the airline, and the international aviation community.