A British Airways Airbus A321neo suffered a tail strike while attempting to land at London Heathrow Airport after arriving from Amsterdam Schiphol. Flight BA431, operated by aircraft G-TNEB, encountered challenging windy conditions during its initial landing attempt.
During the approach, the aircraft’s rear fuselage reportedly struck the runway surface twice. The flight crew immediately initiated a go-around, applying full thrust to climb back into the air and safely abort the landing.
The aircraft then circled the airport before making a successful second landing at Heathrow. All passengers and crew disembarked safely, with no injuries reported.
Following the incident, the aircraft was withdrawn from service for detailed structural inspections, as required after a tail strike. British Airways is also working with the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) to review the flight data and determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.