When the U.K. Environmental Agency warned of high winds in northern England earlier this month, they weren’t crying wolf. The agency cautioned of 90-mph winds in the region and parts of Scotland, forcing ScotRail to cancel train service on December 5. The pilot of an Emirates Boeing 777 trying to land at Birmingham International Airport was aware of the conditions, but chose to attempt a landing at his scheduled destination.
After a scary looking crabbing approach into the teeth of a monster crosswind, he subsequently decided that discretion was the better part of valor and went around — after descending to within a few feet of touchdown. The flight made a second attempt to land at Birmingham, but that approach ended significantly higher as the crew had clearly seen enough. The flight diverted to London Gatwick where conditions weren’t as severe.
