Dreamliner Forced to Divert Only Seventy Miles from Its Destination

An American Airlines Boeing 787 was forced to divert more than 7 hours into its typically 8-hour journey after realizing that it was too big to land. This was due to the specific variant, the 787-9, being 20 feet longer than the 787-8 that is typically used for this route.

American Airlines Flight 780 (AAL780) typically runs from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to Naples (Capodichino) International Airport (NAP) once a day. The trip has an average flight time of around eight to nine hours using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet.

Flight data shows that AAL780 commonly runs on the 787-8 Dreamliner variant: a jet that is 186 feet long, has a range of 7,305 nautical miles, can hold 248 passengers, and supports 90,500 lbs of payload. Its specifications allow it to land at an airport with Category 8 rescue-and-firefighting services (RFFS).

The 787-9 variant, though sharing a wingspan with the 787-8, is almost 20 feet longer than its Dreamliner sister. It has a 7,565 nautical mile range, can hold 296 passengers, and can carry up to 116,000 lbs of cargo. This size difference means that the 787-9 requires Category 9 (RFFS) to land.

So, when American Airlines sent a 787-9 to a Category 8 RFFS airport in Italy, it created a difficult situation. The plane took off from Philadelphia at 7:42 pm and made it seven hours into the flight before turning around over the Tyrrhenian Sea, west of Italy, and changing its destination. It was only 70 miles from Naples when the diversion occurred.

Instead, the airliner was forced to land at Leonardo da Vinci International (FCO) in Rome. Passengers were then shuttled for two hours up to Naples.

"We apologize to them for this disruption to their journey," read a statement from American Airlines, blaming the event on "operational limitations” of the aircraft.

FMI: www.aa.com