Pilot avoids catastrophe as plane’s tail strikes runway (VIDEO)

A British Airways (BA) flight from Aberdeen, Scotland was about to touch down at London’s Heathrow Airport on Monday afternoon, but the aircraft’s tail hit the runway as the pilot struggled to land in high winds.

The landing at one of the world’s largest transport hubs was about to happen during difficult weather conditions, with winds of up to 90mph (145kph) brought by Storm Corrie.

The A321 jet’s attempted landing was filmed by plane spotters at the airport.

The video captured the plane approaching the runway, visibly shaking from side to side in the severe wind. A man behind the camera can be heard commenting, “He’s lucky, he’s got that,” before the jet makes contact with the ground with both sets of wheels, trailing smoke. 

A moment later, the huge plane dangerously tilts to one side and its tail can be seen hitting the tarmac in what is known as a “tail strike.” Paint dust is also seen rising from the ground after the hit.

The pilot then manages to pull up, and the plane ascends back into the sky. The jet landed safely on its second attempt, according to a BA spokesman, who said all passengers and crew “disembarked as normal.”