Terrifying video shows passenger jet lurching from side to side seconds from touchdown on Greek holiday island
This is the terrifying moment a passenger plane lurched back and forth for several seconds before landing on a Greek holiday island.
The footage shows the Sunclass Airlines flight from Stockholm, Sweden, approaching the runway at Skiathos Airport in Greece.
The plane floats, apparently softly, through the blue Mediterranean sky. However, the closer the plane gets to the tarmac, the more violently it appears to tilt.
He then lands with some force as the Airbus A321-200 jerks to the side as it slams into the runway – apparently nose first – before reappearing above the runaway’s forehead after safely reaching solid ground.
Corrierean Italian media site, reported that strong winds overwhelmed the plane as it began its descent towards Skiathos airport. The aircraft also suffered damaged landing gear during landing.
As it approaches the runway, the plane seemingly floats gently through the air. However, the closer the plane gets to the tarmac, the more violently it appears to tilt
The plane then lands with some force as the Airbus A321-200 jerks to the side as it crashes into the runway – apparently nose first – before reappearing above the runaway’s forehead after safely reaching solid ground.
The damaged passenger plane has been stranded on the island since landing on Skiathos on September 15.
The Greek island’s airport is notoriously difficult to land and has been the site of many dramatic landings over the years.
In August 2022, a WizzAir flight made headlines when dramatic footage from Skiathos airport showed the plane skimming just meters above the heads of tourists as it touched down.
Even the seasoned plane spotters who captured the footage appeared shocked as the Airbus plane flew toward the tarmac, narrowly passing the airport fence.
While it barely rises above the fence, it is so low that it throws dust and sand into the air and crumples the hair of a man seen in the footage.
The airport’s runway is located in the northeast of the island of Skiathos and is built between two hills that flank the stretch of tarmac. At each end of the tarmac the Mediterranean Sea is just meters away.
At just 1,628 meters long, the runway is barely longer than a mile, putting it in the ‘short and narrow’ category of runways.
By comparison, commercial airline runways tend to measure between 7,000 and 12,000 feet. Heathrow’s runway is 12,799 feet (about 2.3 miles) long.
A BA flight landing at Skiathos. The Greek island’s airport is notoriously difficult to land and has been the site of many dramatic landings over the years
In August 2022, a WizzAir flight made headlines when dramatic footage from Skiathos airport showed the plane skimming several meters above the heads of tourists as it touched down.
Due to the uneven terrain on the Greek island, the airport was built by reclaiming land from the sea between the island of Skiathos and the smaller island of Lazareta (a former leper colony), bringing the islands together into one larger island.
The relatively short runway runs north to south and coast to throw, meaning pilots must approach as low as possible to give themselves enough runway to land on and come to a stop. Otherwise, they run the risk of the plane veering off the end of the runway into the water.
Due to the short runway, some planes even have to take off with less fuel. Many flights then have to land minutes later in nearby Thessaloniki to refuel.
Watching planes land is a popular tourist attraction on the island, but watching from the end of the runway is not without risks. In July 2022, a 61-year-old British woman was knocked backwards as she and a group of tourists gathered to watch a plane take off.