This is the hair-raising moment a pilot made a dramatic split-second decision to abort his landing as he prepared to touch down on the Spanish holiday island of Lanzarote during severe gale-force winds. Footage captured the terrifying incident showing the plane veering suddenly to the right as an intense wind gust destabilised it just a few feet above the runway at Cesar Manrique-Lanzarote Airport.
Rejected Approach Manoeuvre
The dramatic event led to the commander executing a rejected approach manoeuvre, which saw him lifting the plane's nose sharply into the air to avoid potential disaster. This quick-thinking action prevented what could have been a catastrophic incident as winds on the island reached approximately 55 miles per hour during the attempted landing.
Second Attempt Success
The pilot successfully landed Binter flight NT556 shortly afterwards during a second attempt, demonstrating exceptional skill and composure under extreme pressure. The aircraft had taken off from the neighbouring island of Gran Canaria, though it was not immediately clear how many passengers were onboard during this harrowing experience.
Spectacular Footage
The spectacular display was filmed by Lanzarote Webcam, which published the footage on its social media channels. A spokesman for the organisation commented on the incident, stating: 'Binter flight NT556 from Gran Canaria operating with registration EC-NGG was landing at Lanzarote airport in bad weather conditions, when it received a strong wind gust and put in grave danger the integrity of the plane.'
The spokesman continued: 'It's quite a sight to see how the pilots resolved the incident. Finally the plane landed at the second attempt without problems. We have decided to do this compilation because without doubt the pilots skills were essential to sort the problem without damages and left us a nice toga operation.'
Separate Emergency Incident
This incident comes as a United Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday after the plane suffered a reported engine malfunction. Flight UA 2127 had to turn back to LAX after heading for Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey when smoke began filling up the aircraft cabin.
Emergency Evacuation
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner had to deploy emergency evacuation slides on the runway so passengers could flee the plane safely. According to tracking information from FlightAware, the aircraft took off from Terminal 7 around 10:15am, with the Los Angeles Fire Department receiving a report of an engine problem onboard around 11:05am.
This prompted the plane to circle back to LAX around 11:20am, with dramatic video showing passengers sliding out of the aircraft before running across the runway as smoke spewed from the engine. Fire trucks surrounded the aircraft to assist staff and passengers while controlling the smoke situation.
Minimal Injuries Reported
Remarkably, only one passenger suffered a minor cut to their finger during the emergency evacuation, according to reports. There were 268 people onboard, including 12 crew members, all of whom were safely evacuated from the aircraft.
After the emergency landing, the Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed the plane had landed safely, stating: 'LAFD crews have confirmed United flight #2127 has landed safely and is clear of all passengers and crew members following reported engine problems.'
United Airlines also confirmed the successful landing, telling reporters: 'United flight 2127 safely returned to Los Angeles to address an issue with one of the engines. Customers deplaned via slides and airstairs and were bused to the terminal. There are no reported injuries at this time. We're working to get our customers to their final destinations.'
Both incidents highlight the exceptional skill and training of commercial pilots who must make critical decisions under extreme pressure to ensure passenger safety during unexpected emergencies. The Lanzarote incident particularly demonstrates how quickly weather conditions can change and the importance of pilot expertise in managing such dangerous situations.
