KLM B738 Veers Off The Runway | Hydraulic Issues on Takeoff

KLM 737 Loses Hydraulic Pressure and Leaves the Runway

KLM Flight KL1204 departed Oslo on December 28, 2024, bound for Amsterdam with a Boeing 737-800 registered PH-BXM. Shortly after takeoff, the crew reported a hydraulic problem and stopped the climb at about 5,000 feet. The aircraft was subsequently diverted to Sandefjord Airport.

The diversion was completed about 50 minutes after departure. PH-BXM landed on runway 18 at Sandefjord at approximately 19:05 local time. During the rollout, the aircraft veered to the right and left the paved surface, coming to rest with the nose gear and right main gear off the runway.

All 176 passengers and six crew members were reported uninjured. The aircraft's final position nevertheless closed the airport and triggered a formal investigation. Initial reports described a hydraulic failure, but later investigation information provided a more specific sequence.

In March 2025, the Dutch Safety Board reported that the aircraft had blown a tyre during takeoff, causing the loss of hydraulic pressure. Norway's Accident Investigation Board was conducting the investigation, with Dutch authorities offering assistance.

The event demonstrates how a relatively small mechanical failure can alter an aircraft's entire operational profile. A tyre failure during takeoff developed into a hydraulic-system problem, which led the crew to abandon the planned destination and select another airport. The landing itself was successful, but the loss of directional control during the rollout carried the aircraft beyond the runway edge.

Weather at Sandefjord was also challenging, with low cloud and periods of reduced visibility reported around the time of the diversion. The aircraft therefore arrived at an alternate airport in winter conditions while dealing with a systems problem, yet the crew completed the landing without injury to anyone aboard.

The choice of Sandefjord was operationally significant. The aircraft had already departed Oslo and was experiencing a system problem, so returning to the original airport was not the only consideration. The crew selected another airport capable of accepting the aircraft while the hydraulic problem was being managed.

The reported weather at Sandefjord included low ceilings and periods of fog and reduced visibility. That meant the diversion was not simply a matter of flying toward the nearest runway. The crew had to conduct an instrument arrival and then manage the aircraft's directional control during the landing rollout.

The final runway excursion occurred at low speed. The aircraft did not overturn or suffer a fire, and the landing gear remained sufficiently intact for the occupants to leave safely. The fact that all 182 people aboard escaped injury is an important part of the outcome.

The later tyre finding also changes the way the incident is understood. The initial description of a hydraulic failure described the system that was affected. The later investigation information identified a preceding physical event—the tyre failure—that produced the hydraulic-pressure loss. That distinction matters in aviation investigations because the first visible failure is not always the initiating event.

The aircraft's position after the excursion also explains why the airport was closed. With the nose and right main landing gear beyond the runway edge, recovery equipment was required before the movement area could be returned to normal service. Airport closures after runway excursions are therefore often driven by recovery and inspection requirements rather than by injuries.

The incident also demonstrates why an apparently successful emergency landing can still be classified as serious. The crew achieved the primary objective—getting the aircraft onto the ground safely—but the aircraft subsequently departed the paved surface and required recovery. The absence of injuries does not mean the event was operationally insignificant.

“On 28 December 2024 KLM flight KL1204, a Boeing 737-8K2, was taking off from Oslo-Gardermoen Airport (OSL) when a main wheel de-laminated and damaged the”

Accident Facts

Sources

• Video source (ATC/audio reconstruction)
• AeroInside, KL1204 incident record, updated 18 March 2025.
• Airportia / Aviation Herald report on KL1204.
• Dutch Safety Board information reported in March 2025.
• Video/ATC recording