On 20 March 2009 an Airbus A340-500 being operated by Emirates Airline on a scheduled passenger flight from Melbourne to Dubai with an augmented (relief) crew occupying the two flight deck observer seats suffered a tail strike and did not become airborne until after the end of take off runway 16 at Melbourne at night in normal ground visibility. Only subsequently, when an ECAM annunciation of a tail strike was apparent and ATC called, did the crew realise that a tail strike and overrun had occurred and it was decided to return to land to assess the damage with a ‘PAN’ was subsequently declared. An unusual noise accompanied by a cabin report of smoke in the rear cabin area just after completion of fuel dumping led to a precautionary request to ATC for a landing as soon as possible but a full inspection after coming to a stop on the runway founds no signs of fire and a normal taxi in to a gate was then made for disembarkation. None of the 275 occupants were injured but the aircraft rear lower fuselage and ground installations beyond the end of the departure runway struck by it were damaged.