British Airways Grounds Airbus A321neo After Double Tail Strike During Landing In London

A British Airways Airbus A321neo was involved in a tail-strike event on approach to London Heathrow Airport, with the touchdown sequence captured on video and circulated online. The incident occurred during a landing attempt on runway 27L after the aircraft departed from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. The event was described by multiple outlets as a double tail strike, recorded during the approach and subsequent go-around, before a second landing was completed. The reporting identifies the airline and aircraft type but does not supply a flight number or precise local time in the core summary materials.

According to Simple Flying’s compilation, the tail strike occurred on the initial landing attempt, after which the crew initiated a go-around and then made a second landing attempt. The material notes that the aircraft landed, but does not specify the condition of the aircraft post-touchdown or any injuries among passengers or crew. The report emphasizes that the incident was observed on video and circulated widely after being captured during the livestreamed moment.

RNZ’s coverage corroborates that a tail strike occurred on approach to Heathrow and highlights that footage of the moment circulated publicly. The RNZ piece notes that investigators or formal statements regarding the causes were not included in the material it received and does not identify the aircraft type or the exact flight details. This source reinforces the sequence of a tail strike during landing, a go-around, and a subsequent second landing without providing casualty or damage specifics.

A DHL-branded freighter on approach to Heathrow, identified by Simple Flying as an Airbus A300-600F operated by European Air Transport Leipzig, is described in more detailed reporting as the aircraft involved in a tail strike sequence. This account states the tail strike happened during the first approach, the crew performed a go-around, and on the second landing the jet was written off. The reporting makes clear that the freighter was the sole aircraft involved and does not provide injury data or exact crew/passenger counts.

Daily Mail coverage aligns with the DHL A300-600F narrative for the Heathrow tail-strike event, noting the double-tail-strike description on approach and the subsequent write-off after the second touchdown. The Daily Mail and other outlets emphasize the dramatic nature of footage showing the moment of contact with the runway during a go-around and second landing attempt, without detailing casualties or precise flight identifiers.

Times Now adds specifics from their report, describing the incident as involving a British Airways Airbus A321neo operating BA431 from Amsterdam to London. They state the approach to Heathrow's Terminal 5 area included an aborted landing and a go-around before a second landing, with the footage indicating the left and then right landing gear contact the runway and the rear of the aircraft appearing to strike twice. Times Now reports a safe second landing at approximately 10:49 am and notes that British Airways had launched an investigation, but again does not provide injury counts or passenger numbers. RNZ’s separate note reiterates the tail-strike description and mentions that investigators’ statements about causes were not included.

Across the materials, AAIB involvement is referenced as the source for the detailed sequence of events, with Simple Flying citing an AAIB bulletin to describe the tail strike on the first approach, followed by a go-around and a second touchdown that led to a write-off for the DHL A300-600F. The sources collectively indicate the AAIB bulletin is the basis for the event chronology while not disclosing flight numbers, exact timing, or casualty details. The emergency-response specifics, including fire services or airport-recovery actions, are not detailed in the material provided.

The PYOK entry contributes context by noting investigators were dispatched to the scene to assess the circumstances, reinforcing the formal investigation status without offering causal conclusions. It does not add new details about injuries, exact aircraft configuration beyond the broadly stated tail-strike sequence, or precise operational data such as wind conditions or sequencing of the approach. The cited material also mentions that investigators were deployed, but stops short of supplying formal statements or findings.

Overall, the reporting landscape centers on a tail-strike event during landing at Heathrow, with multiple outlets identifying the involved aircraft as a DHL-branded Airbus A300-600F operated by European Air Transport Leipzig, though one set of sources also mentions a British Airways A321neo in the context of the same event. The most specific sequence described across sources is tail strike on the first approach, go-around, second touchdown, and eventual write-off for the freighter, while the BA aircraft is described primarily in terms of a dramatic approach captured on video and subsequent investigation, without confirming injuries or aircraft damage, in keeping with the supplied material.