Moment British Airways plane ‘bounces down’ Heathrow runway before abandoning landing

Detailed summary

A BA plane has suffered a runway horror at Heathrow. The white-knuckle landing was caught on camera and has been shared on social media. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT On X…

A BA plane has suffered a runway horror at Heathrow. The white-knuckle landing was caught on camera and has been shared on social media. On X @BigJetTVLIVE said@ "Caught live on our 24/7 Camera BA431 encountered a double tail strike upon landing at Heathrow Airport this morning. Footage captured by Big Jet TV appeared to show the plane's tail striking the runway twice as the pilots attempted to land. The pilots subsequently abandoned the landing and performed a manoeuvre known as a "go-around", taking the aircraft back into the air before making another approach. The Airbus A321neo had been arriving at Heathrow on Thursday morning (November 12) following a short flight from Amsterdam.

According to aviation website Paddle Your Own Kanoo, the aircraft landed safely on its second attempt, with passengers disembarking as normal.

The plane has since been taken out of service for maintenance inspections, with a provisional return to service scheduled for November 14, depending on the extent of any damage.

Investigators from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) have reportedly been called in to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

A British Airways spokesperson told Paddle Your Own Kanoo: "The aircraft landed safely, and we’re assisting the AAIB with its investigation and are legally unable to comment further at this stage."

The aircraft, registered G-TNEB, had begun its day at Heathrow before flying to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and returning to London. It had been scheduled to operate several further flights that day, but those plans were disrupted following the landing incident.

Tail strikes can cause significant damage to aircraft, potentially requiring extensive repairs.

Paddle Your Own Kanoo highlighted a similar incident involving an Air France Airbus A350 at Toronto Pearson Airport in 2024.

The aircraft was reportedly grounded for months while repairs were carried out.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Daily Express. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.