A British Airways Airbus A321neo has been taken out of service after its tail struck the runway during an attempted landing at London Heathrow Airport (LHR), forcing the crew to perform an emergency go-around before returning for a safe landing.
What happened?
The incident involved a British Airways Airbus A321neo operating flight BA431 from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) to London Heathrow (LHR). The aircraft was approaching Heathrow’s Terminal 5 shortly after 10:30 a.m. Thursday Nov. 12 when its initial landing attempt was aborted.
Footage captured by Big Jet TV appears to show the aircraft swaying from side to side as it descended, making contact with the runway before the rear fuselage struck the surface twice in what is known as a double tail strike.
Pilots initiated a go-around, climbing away from the runway before conducting a second approach. The aircraft landed safely at approximately 10:49 a.m.
Big Jet TV reported that passengers were heard screaming during the manoeuvre and some appeared to lurch forward in their seats during the attempt.
The Aftermath
The, an Airbus A321neo registered G-TNEB, has since been withdrawn from service for inspection, with a provisional return-to-service date of Nov. 14.
Tail strikes can result in significant damage to an aircraft’s rear fuselage and may require extensive repairs, depending on the severity of the impact. The extent of any damage sustained during the incident has not been disclosed.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the occurrence.
A British Airways spokesperson said:
“The aircraft landed safely and we’re assisting the AAIB with its investigation and are legally unable to comment further at this stage.”
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