British Airways Plane Scrapes Tail on Heathrow Runway During Landing
British Airways News
A British Airways aircraft struck its tail against the runway while landing at London Heathrow Airport, forcing pilots to abandon their landing attempt and take off again. The aircraft later landed safely on its second attempt.
The incident involved British Airways flight BA431, an Airbus A321neo flying from Amsterdam to London on Thursday, November 12. The aircraft was approaching Heathrow Terminal 5 when its rear section scraped the runway during landing.
Footage captured by aviation channel Big Jet TV showed the aircraft touching down before its tail struck the runway. The aircraft appeared to bounce as its wheels made contact with the ground.
The pilots immediately performed a go-around, a standard aviation procedure in which pilots discontinue an approach and climb back into the air before attempting another landing.
The aircraft climbed before returning for a second approach. It eventually landed safely at Heathrow at around 10:49 am local time. No injuries were reported.
The incident has been reported to the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), which is investigating what happened during the landing.
British Airways confirmed that the aircraft landed safely and said it was assisting the AAIB with its investigation. The airline declined to provide further details while the investigation continues.
The footage of the incident circulated on social media after Big Jet TV shared the recording from its live Heathrow airport camera.
Ajeet Yadav is an aviation enthusiast covering airline news, airports, aircraft, and industry developments through well-researched and reliable reporting.
