Comments on: Video: Why is anyone landing in this sort of weather?

By: Mark Ashley

Mark Ashley — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:37:30 +0000

It looks like wheels touched the runway at least once.

By: hrvo

hrvo — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:26:07 +0000

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

By: Simon

Simon — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:40:35 +0000

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.

By: Andy

Andy — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:01:09 +0000

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.

By: The Global Traveller

The Global Traveller — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 03:59:04 +0000

Wellington is another airport infamous for rough landings.

By: Mark Ashley

Mark Ashley — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 02:44:47 +0000

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:

By: Mark Ashley

Mark Ashley — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 23:20:08 +0000

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.

By: Anthony I

Anthony I — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:52:46 +0000

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

By: Beth Whitman

Beth Whitman — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:30:19 +0000

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

By: Malte

Malte — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:28:29 +0000

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

By: Anthony I

Anthony I — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:26:05 +0000

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.