Terrifying moment a passenger plane lands at Madeira airport as the plane is tossed by the wind before bouncing down the runway
- The TAP Air Portugal Airbus lands after a flight from Porto Santo
- A cloud of smoke appears around the plane as the wheels hit the ground
- Madeira Airport is the ninth most dangerous airport in the world, claims the History Channel
This is the terrifying moment a passenger plane lands at Madeira airport as it is tossed around by strong winds before bouncing down the runway.
In footage of the wild landing, TAP Air Portugal’s Airbus is seen for the first time as it soars through the sky after a flight from Porto Santo to Santa Cruz airport.
But although things appear to be going smoothly, the plane soon begins to sway back and forth as it tries to maintain its balance before landing.
Strong gusts seem to become more challenging as the plane tilts to the right as the mountains and sea come into view.
In an audible moment, the plane begins to wobble and nosedive towards the airport before being towed back into the air.
TAP Air Portugal’s Airbus is seen in terrifying footage as it soars through the sky before making an unstable landing at Madeira airport
After a wobbly descent, the plane finally landed before bouncing down the runway
A cloud of smoke appeared around the wheels of the plane as it finally made contact with the runway
You can see the passenger plane twisting and turning in the air as it continues its bumpy descent.
Footage shows the runway at Madeira airport coming into view as tensions rise over whether the plane will be able to make a smooth, safe landing.
The plane leans from side to side and comes closer to the painted runway, causing viewers to grip the edges of their seats.
After a final dive, the plane shakes as the front wheels hit the ground, causing the plane to slide down the runway as a cloud of smoke appears around the plane.
The rear wheels raise and lower, causing the plane to start bouncing around the runway as it slowly flies towards what appears to be the edge of a cliff.
Finally the plane, which fortunately had no passengers at the time, appears to be under control after the unreliable landing.
It is sent peacefully in a straight line across the rest of the runway before the footage ends.
The video was uploaded to the Madeira Airport Spotting YouTube channel, where plane fans claimed: ‘This is definitely the wildest landing ever at Madeira Airport!’
More than 640 viewers also flooded the comments section with their thoughts on the bizarre landing.
One said, “I’m no expert, but 1) it looks super unstable on final, 2) they’re landing outside the touchdown zone, and 3) they’re landing nose gear first. I’m quite surprised they continued with that approach, let alone attempted a landing.’
Another added: “I have NEVER seen a landing like this. WOW. As I heard in flight school many years ago, “You can ALWAYS go around.”
A third chimed in: ‘It’s absolutely insane this touchdown. Go around and try again Captain!!!!!!’
Madeira is an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean.
It is located almost 400 kilometers north of the Canary Islands and 520 kilometers west of Morocco, making it subject to different climate systems, including strong winds.
According to The History Channel’s Most Extreme Airports, Madeira Airport is ranked the ninth most dangerous airport in the world, and the third most dangerous airport in Europe.
Crews must undergo additional flight training to be able to land there.