Aircraft from Amsterdam hits runway while landing at Heathrow
The crew abandoned the landing after the tail of a British Airways aircraft struck the runway.
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A British Airways aircraft, possibly an Airbus A321neo, struck the runway with its tail while landing at London Heathrow on Thursday. The crew abandoned the landing; the aircraft then landed safely on its second attempt.
The aircraft was operating flight BA431 from Amsterdam Schiphol to Heathrow. According to public aviation reports, the tail struck the runway during the first landing attempt, after which the crew went around.
The aircraft subsequently landed safely. British Airways confirmed to 1News that it is co-operating with an investigation by the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch, the body that investigates serious incidents in civil aviation.
No injuries have been reported in the incident, according to the available reports. The aircraft has been taken out of service for inspection. At the time of publication, it was not publicly known whether the damage was limited to the fuselage or also affected other parts.
A so-called tail strike can occur when the rear of an aircraft touches the runway during take-off or landing. The cause of this incident has not yet been established. Possible explanations can only be assessed after investigators have analysed flight data, maintenance information and the circumstances.
For passengers on the route, the incident mainly means that the aircraft will not be used for the time being. There is no indication that Heathrow Airport or the Amsterdam–London connection has been closed for an extended period. The investigation will determine what safety measures are needed.
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Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The factual core is confirmed by multiple public aviation sources. The text avoids conclusions about the cause while the investigation is under way.
- confirmed British Airways flight BA431 flew from Amsterdam to Heathrow. — Mentioned by 1News and What the Fact. source
- confirmed The tail struck the runway and the crew went around. — Confirmed by 1News and the Aviation Safety Network reference in the fact-check. source
- confirmed The second landing was completed safely. — Reported by 1News and What the Fact. source
- confirmed The AAIB is investigating the incident. — British Airways says it is co-operating with the investigation; the AAIB is the UK investigative body. source
Editor's note
The flight, airport, go-around and safe second landing were reported by multiple public sources. The cause and exact extent of the damage remain under investigation.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „luchtvaart heathrow”
- Trouw — „luchtvaart heathrow”
- NRC — „luchtvaart heathrow”