Moment British Airways flight suffers double tail strike in aborted landing at Heathrow Airport

A British Airways flight suffered a dramatic tail strike during an aborted landing at London Heathrow Airport, with multiple outlets citing a striking moment captured on video as the aircraft interacted with the runway surface. The event was described as a double tail strike on approach, according to the Daily Mail summary of the incident.

Multiple reports identify the aircraft involved as a DHL-branded freighter operated by European Air Transport Leipzig, specifically an Airbus A300-600F, during its approach to Heathrow. Simple Flying, drawing on an AAIB bulletin, states that the tail strike occurred on the initial landing attempt, after which a go-around was performed, followed by a second landing attempt during which the aircraft was written off. Several outlets corroborate the freighter configuration and operator, while not providing a flight number or exact timing.

The sequence reported in the sources indicates that the tail strike happened on the first approach to land at Heathrow, with the aircraft then aborting the landing and performing a go-around. On the second landing attempt, the jet touched down again and was subsequently written off. The material consistently notes that there were no details provided about injuries or the exact number of people aboard.

Coverage from RNZ emphasizes that footage circulated showing the tail strike on approach to Heathrow, describing the moment as dramatic while noting that there were no formal statements on causes within the provided material. The RNZ report also does not specify the aircraft type or precise flight details. AOL.co.uk and Daily Express report similarly that observers described a tense landing with a white-knuckle moment before the go-around, but do not provide definitive aircraft or casualty details in their summaries.

The AAIB is referenced across the Simple Flying material as contributing to the bulletin that outlines the detailed circumstances surrounding the incident. While the exact time and flight number are not disclosed in the provided material, the bulletin is cited as the source for the sequence of events—tail strike on the first approach, go-around, second touchdown, and subsequent write-off. The emergency-response actions, including the involvement of fire services or airport authorities, are not detailed in the supplied material.

In addition to the Heathrow-tail strike narrative, PYOK provides context by noting that investigators were dispatched to the scene to assess the incident, indicating an official examination of the circumstances. However, the PYOK reporting does not specify the aircraft type, flight details, or the eventual outcomes beyond the write-off as described in other sources.

AOL.co.uk, RNZ, Simple Flying, Daily Mail, Daily Express, and others consistently describe the event as taking place at Heathrow on a landing approach, with a tail strike described on the first attempt, a go-around, and a second landing that led to the write-off of the DHL-operated A300-600F. Across these accounts, there is no consensus on injuries, the exact flight number, or the precise timing, and some outlets refrain from drawing causal conclusions while highlighting the AAIB’s involvement and the write-off status.