The Ten Scariest Aircraft Landings Caught On Video

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Next time you feel like complaining about the Wi-Fi on your flight being slow, just remember it could have been worse. Much worse.

In reality, truly terrible is when you lose both engines and your pilot who has one eye has to land a Boeing 737 on a narrow levee. Or when a missile tears off half of your wing just after takeoff. Nobody had any video cameras on hand for those landings, though.

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Here are ten scariest situations that were caught on video:


10.) Avro 146 At London City Airport

This is what we call a hard landing. It also shows you just how much the landing gear can take.

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Suggested By: Turbineguy

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9.) Any Day At Bhutan

ColinCren was there to witness why only a few pilots are qualified to land in Bhutan. No place for errors:

Haha. The best bit of the flight is when the captain comes on the radio and says "We are going to come very close to the monastery out the right side windows, but do not worry, this is normal."

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Suggested By: ColinCren


8.) JAL 747 at old Kai Tak airport in Hong Kong in 1988

Watch out for that tree! Kai Tak Airport was closed down in 1998.

Suggested By: ttyymmnn

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7.) Landing in Alaska

Off-roading with a small plane. Welcome to Alaska. Grab a beer, it will stay cold forever.

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Suggested By: avantime

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6.) Last second abort at at Lisboa Airport

Realizing that it won't work out in the last second is certainly better than turning into a fireball.

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Suggested By: ttyymmnn

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5.) Helicopter crashing into a carrier

Ignore the stupid Benny Hill music. The main lesson here is that this is one efficient way to make sure your helicopter won't roll back into the ocean on an aircraft carrier. Job well done.

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Suggested By: ttyymmnn

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4.) Landing a fighter on a ship during a sand storm

This is the part when HUD and other gadgets come in handy.

Suggested By: CKeffer

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3.) C17 at the wrong airport

80 feet. Bengal55 explains:

How about a C-17 Globemaster III landing at the wrong airport? Headed for Mac Dill AFB inbound from Italy it mistakenly touched down at Peter O. Knight airport in Tampa, just a few miles from Mac Dill (same runway heading and all.) The takeoff video is as impressive as the landing video. Peter O. Knight has a runway length of 3580 ft, and the C-17 needs a minimum of 3,500 ft to land.

Suggested By: heeltoehero

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2.) Landing with a partially ejected navigator

A serious malfunction and some Irish luck.

Suggested By: towman

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1.) Landing in crosswinds without the left landing gear

It's the bonus level after you've done everything. You deserve a drink.

Suggested By: My X-type is too a real Jaguar

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Top Photo Credit: Cargospotter