Passengers aboard a packed British Airways flight faced a terrifying landing at London’s Heathrow Airport when the aircraft’s tail struck the runway.
Flight BA431 was arriving from Amsterdam on Thursday when the Airbus A321neo was forced to abandon its landing attempt after making contact with the tarmac.
The Sun reported that the aircraft touched down on its left-side tyres at about 11 a.m., prompting screams among the 220 people on board.
Shocking video recorded by a nearby plane-spotter appears to show the twin-engine jet’s tailfin scraping the runway before the pilots pulled the aircraft back into the air.
Passengers were reportedly thrown forward in their seats as the crew worked to regain control of the plane.
The frightening Heathrow Airport landing incident was captured by a stunned observer watching from the ground.
“This is most irregular. There were screams. No one knew what was happening,” a source told The Sun.
“This near-crash is very rare. The plane was buffeted by high winds, but usually the pilots have this scenario under control.
“An investigation will get to the bottom of what happened.”
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The newspaper said preliminary inquiries had suggested a possible “misjudgment” in the cockpit. The incident has also been reported to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch, which examines civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents in the UK.
News.com.au has contacted British Airways for comment.
The incident follows another aviation scare earlier this week, when a United Airlines flight transmitted a hijack alert after a passenger allegedly claimed to have a bomb and tried to enter the cockpit.
The alarming episode occurred aboard flight UA2174, which left New Jersey’s Newark International Airport at 9.27 p.m. EST on Monday for Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans.
According to FlightRadar24, the pilots activated squawk 7500, the internationally recognised transponder code used to indicate unlawful interference, including a hijacking or serious threat on board.
Aviation content creator Aaron Rheins said the Level 4 alert indicated an attempted or confirmed cockpit breach.
Air traffic control audio reviewed by Rheins reportedly revealed that an unidentified 34-year-old man had claimed during the flight that he was carrying a bomb in a backpack.
Following the incident, the passenger was reportedly moved to the rear of the aircraft and seated with crew members. The flight later landed safely in New Orleans at 11:15 p.m. local time.
A United Airlines spokesperson confirmed the incident to news.com.au, saying that “law enforcement met the aircraft upon arrival.”
