British Airways plane tail strikes runway as aircraft lands at Heathrow

A British Airways flight encountered a tail strike while attempting to land at London Heathrow on Thursday, 12 November, according to multiple outlets. The event centered on BA431, reported variously as operating from Amsterdam to Heathrow, with the aircraft approaching Terminal 5 area before the tail briefly contacted the runway during the initial landing attempt and then again during a subsequent maneuver, leading to a go-around and a second landing.

Footage from a Big Jet TV webcam captured the moment as the BA431 approach unfolded, showing the tail making contact with the runway before the aircraft lifted away and proceeded with a go-around, per The Independent. Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 corroborates that the aircraft performed a go-around and later completed a second approach, the outlet notes, with the eventual landing described as successful on the second attempt.

The British Airways spokesperson confirmed that the aircraft landed safely and added that the airline is assisting the AAIB with its investigation, while stating they cannot comment further at this stage. This acknowledgement of an AAIB investigation is echoed across several outlets, which emphasize that no injuries or casualty details were disclosed in the available material.

Additional reporting specifies that BA431 was on approach to Heathrow near Terminal 5 when the tail contact occurred, with the left main gear touching first and the right gear following, and where described, the tail scrape occurred twice in what some outlets termed a double tail strike during the approach sequence. Times Now notes winds described as north-westerly with gusts around 16 km/h as the flight performed the go-around and subsequent landing, and highlights that British Airways has launched an investigation into the incident.

A separate account from RNZ reiterates that a tail strike occurred on approach to Heathrow with circulating footage of the moment, but the material RNZ received did not specify the aircraft type, flight number, or injuries, and did not include formal statements about causes. The रिपोर्ट aligns with the tail-strike narrative but leaves operational specifics unspecified in their coverage.

In coverage focusing on the aircraft and operator details, Simple Flying cites an AAIB bulletin describing the involved aircraft as a DHL-branded Airbus A300-600F operated by European Air Transport Leipzig on approach to Heathrow. This report states the tail strike happened on the initial landing attempt, followed by a go-around, and that on the second landing attempt the jet touched down again and was written off. Simple Flying notes the material does not provide information on injuries or the exact flight number or time, but confirms the write-off status and the AAIB involvement in the bulletin narrative.

Further context from Times Now and Yahoo News UK presents BA431 as a British Airways Airbus A321neo, reinforcing the sequence of aborted touchdown, go-around, and second landing with the left main gear touching first and the rear of the aircraft appearing to strike the runway twice in what is described as a double tail strike, before resuming approach and landing safely around 10:49 am. Winds are cited in these reports as north-westerly with gusts around 16 km/h, and both outlets note that British Airways launched an investigation into the incident. The Yahoo News UK piece also references BA431’s portrayal across other outlets, including Gulf News.

Overall, reporting across the outlets reflects two closely linked narratives: one identifying the aircraft involved as a DHL-branded Airbus A300-600F operated by European Air Transport Leipzig, with the tail strike occurring on the initial approach and the aircraft subsequently written off after the second landing, and another describing a BA431 event involving a BA-operated Airbus A321neo with a tail strike sequence during approach, a go-around, and a second landing at Heathrow around 10:49 am. Several outlets corroborate a go-around and a late-morning safe landing, while specific details such as injuries, exact time, and precise flight numbers remain unconfirmed in the shared material.