03
Mar
2008
Video: Why is anyone landing in this sort of weather?
Posted by: Mark Ashley

Can’t see the video? Click here or here.

Video of the Vomit Comet, also known as a Lufthansa Airbus A320 landing in severe crosswinds in Hamburg.

Notice the aircraft’s left engine winglet HITTING THE RUNWAY as pilots attempt to land. Then note the dust as the plane’s wheels seemingly hit the dirt outside the actual runway. Finally they wise up and go around.

Why, oh why, is anyone landing in this sort of weather?!

This particular flight has now hit the front page of CNN, with minimal additional explanation.

Related:
- Video: Airbus A380 landing in fierce crosswinds
- “Lost Lunch” in Short hops — June 2, 2006 — “Lost” edition

Categorized in: travel
11 Comments

11 Responses to “Video: Why is anyone landing in this sort of weather?”

  1. Anthony I Says:
    March 3rd, 2008 at 5:26 pm

    This is, in fact, an everyday and totally safe occurrence – in fact not even very severe in terms of harsh-weather landings. Certain areas and runways/airports are more prone to crosswinds in particular, a few off the top of my head include the old Hong Kong airport (Kai Tek?), Manchester UK, Heathrow, Zurich, etc.

    It’s the sudden gust on the last seconds of final that are extremely rare and made this event noteworthy. I fly monthly between Manchester and Zurich on Swiss, and almost every landing in Manchester I’ve had after dusk has been a crosswind landing – its very unnerving to feel like you’re flying sideways, but in fact aircraft landing gear structures are designed to withstand absolutely enormous amounts of shear force for specifically this reason.

  2. Malte Says:
    March 3rd, 2008 at 5:28 pm

    here is a picture of the winglet touching ground:
    http://www.airliners.net/uf/536882887/middle/phpOltUWB.jpg

  3. Beth Whitman Says:
    March 3rd, 2008 at 5:30 pm

    Holy Crap! Every day and safe occurrence? An engine hitting the ground? I doubt it. This is crazy!

  4. Anthony I Says:
    March 3rd, 2008 at 5:52 pm

    And the engine doesn’t actually touch the ground – only the winglet.

  5. Mark Ashley Says:
    March 3rd, 2008 at 6:20 pm

    My error. I thought “winglet” in my mind but wrote “engine.” Need sleep. Mea culpa. Post corrected.

    But to the earlier point: Yes, the old Hong Kong airport was famous for this, as are other airports. And modern aircraft are designed for this. (Watch the videos in the “related” links to see the A380 and B777 doing the same thing, safely.) But this was Hamburg — not one of those places — and a wing-strike is no one’s idea of a good, safe time.

  6. Mark Ashley Says:
    March 3rd, 2008 at 9:44 pm

    For those who can’t get enough crosswind landing action, here are a few “good” ones:

    An Airbus A321 getting tossed around before aborting landing:

    747 at Zurich:

    And, of course, a 747 at Hong Kong’s now-closed Kai Tek Airport:

  7. The Global Traveller Says:
    March 3rd, 2008 at 10:59 pm

    Wellington is another airport infamous for rough landings.

  8. Andy Says:
    March 4th, 2008 at 7:01 am

    There is a pilot’s saying:
    All take-offs are optional, all landings are mandatory.
    The weather may not have been severe when the plane left it’s departure point.

  9. Simon Says:
    March 4th, 2008 at 10:40 am

    If my pilot tried to land like that in such conditions – I would personally go up to the cockpit afterwards and slap him one – whether it was routine or not.

  10. hrvo Says:
    March 6th, 2008 at 8:26 am

    can somebody tell me did the plane touched the ground with wheels on this clip from Hamburg or just with the winglet?

  11. Mark Ashley Says:
    March 6th, 2008 at 1:37 pm

    It looks like wheels touched the runway at least once.

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