fbpx

Video: A Near-Fatal Touch Down

Damage to the aircraft is unknown.

A number of photographers on Sunday, some on the ground at Salzburg Airport in Austria and another on the aircraft, captured video from different perspectives during a near catastrophic arrival of an Enter Air Boeing 737-800. The crew of the Polish airline was attempting to land on the airport’s single 9,000-foot runway 15-33 with winds reported at 270 at 26, gusting 46. A storm system was moving through the area, delivering a 60-degree crosswind component with which the crew attempted to contend.

amzn_assoc_tracking_id = “bon_flying-20”; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = “manual”; amzn_assoc_ad_type = “smart”; amzn_assoc_marketplace = “amazon”; amzn_assoc_region = “US”; amzn_assoc_design = “enhanced_links”; amzn_assoc_asins = “B002G551F6”; amzn_assoc_placement = “adunit”; amzn_assoc_linkid = “52ba8b5d5fc865bfba4587e1b9c058a6”;

On arrival from Frankfurt, the Boeing commenced a circling approach to runway 33 when, on very short final, a wind gust nearly drove the aircraft’s right wing into the ground. As the crew wrestled to right the airplane, the Boeing slammed down on the runway. A few seconds later the crew executed a go around and received a clearance to hold at the Salzburg VOR before deciding to return to Frankfurt. The Boeing landed there about an hour later without further incident. No injuries were reported.

Shortly after the Enter Air Boeing went around, two more aircraft chose the go-around option after receiving a low-altitude wind shear alert on short final. Video shot by a passenger on the Boeing dramatically illustrates the final seconds of the arrival. How would you have handled the approach?

Login

New to Flying?

Register

Already have an account?