WATCH shocking moment that plane strikes tail at Heathrow Airport runway TWICE

A British Airways Airbus A321neo operating flight BA431 from Amsterdam to London Heathrow was involved in a tail-strike incident during its approach to Heathrow, according to multiple outlets. Times Now reports that the event occurred as the aircraft neared Terminal 5 and that the pilots aborted the initial touchdown, conducted a go-around, and then carried out a second landing. The Times Now account notes the left main gear touched down first, followed by the right, with the rear of the aircraft appearing to strike the runway surface twice in what was described as a double tail strike before the crew climbed away from the runway and resumed the approach, ultimately landing safely around 10:49 am. Gulf News corroborates the sequence, including the go-around and the second landing, and mentions the late-morning landing time.

Sources differ on the precise aircraft type involved in the Heathrow tail-strike event. While Times Now and Gulf News describe BA431 as a British Airways Airbus A321neo, Simple Flying and AAIB-focused reporting identify a DHL-branded freighter, an Airbus A300-600F operated by European Air Transport Leipzig, as the aircraft in a related but overlapping report of the same tail-strike scenario. Simple Flying explicitly cites an AAIB bulletin and describes the tail strike occurring on the initial approach, followed by a go-around and a second landing that resulted in the aircraft being written off. The airline/operator distinction is crucial in these summaries, with BA431 and the DHL A300-600F presented as separate, though closely related, narratives.

The event is described as taking place during an approach to Heathrow, with the aircraft descending toward the runway and making contact in a tails-strike sequence. Times Now cites gusty conditions: a north-westerly wind with gusts around 16 km/h. The Times Now article indicates that after the go-around, the aircraft completed a second approach and landed safely later that morning. The Royal New Zealand outlet RNZ notes a tail strike on approach but does not provide aircraft type, time, or casualty details, and does not cite official statements on causes within the supplied material.

Multiple outlets reference the involvement of British Airways and the investigation process. Times Now states that British Airways launched an investigation into the incident, and 1News reports that a tail strike occurred on approach to Heathrow, with an Airbus A321neo involved in BA431, and that BA is assisting the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch with the inquiry. 1News also notes that footage from FlightRadar24 and Big Jet TV captured the moment of the tail strike during the approach, and that the second landing occurred without incident. The material does not provide information about injuries or the exact passenger counts.

Emergency response and investigation details in the supplied material are limited. Several sources indicate that authorities and the AAIB are involved in examining the incident, but there is no explicit description of immediate emergency-response actions, fire services, or airport authority interventions in the provided material. Simple Flying repeatedly cites an AAIB bulletin as the basis for the sequence of events, including the initial tail strike, go-around, second touchdown, and the subsequent write-off, but it does not outline the specific on-scene actions taken by emergency responders.

Coverage from The Sun and Daily Mail describes the event as a dramatic tail-strike during the approach to Heathrow, with the aircraft described as scrapes along the tail or a tail strike on approach. The Sun does not supply aircraft type or flight number, while the Daily Mail corroborates the DHL A300-600F configuration in its summaries, and notes the sequence of tail strike, go-around, and second landing. Neither outlet provides detailed casualty or injury information in the supplied material, and both emphasize the video-recorded nature of the incident without offering further operational specifics.

1News and Gulf News provide corroborating details on the timing and sequence of the approach, including the second landing and the successful completion of the flight to Heathrow. 1News reports the aircraft landed safely on the second attempt and that BA is assisting the AAIB with the inquiry, with no details about injuries. Gulf News similarly mentions the safe second landing and the involvement of investigation efforts but does not specify injuries or exact flight numbers beyond BA431 and Amsterdam to Heathrow. The RNZ and FlightGlobal materials contextualize the event within broader aviation reporting but do not add new operational specifics beyond those cited by other outlets.