The Qantas Boeing 787-9 suffered a tailstrike during take off from London Heathrow.
The Boeing 787-9 Qantas plane, which had 237 people on the flight at the time, was shaken by strong winds causing it to smack into the runway.
The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing at Heathrow due to the incident after the flight reached 6,000 feet.
An Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB) report, published on Thursday, November 12, reveals the 19 hour flight was scheduled for Perth Airport in Australia at 1pm on February 9, 2020 but had to turn back to Heathrow shortly after take off as it reached just 6,000 feet.
The official report says: “The aircraft was on a scheduled flight from London Heathrow Airport to Perth Airport in Australia. Following a normal engine start and taxi, the aircraft was cleared for take off.
“Shortly after becoming airborne, the EICAS tail strike message was displayed. The crew elected to hold to the southwest of Heathrow at 6,000 ft whilst they carried out relevant actions from the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH), which prevented aircraft pressurisation, so prepared to return to Heathrow.
“The aircraft was then radar-vectored for an approach to Runway 27L at Heathrow, where an overweight landing was made.”
The conclusion of the report stated: “During conditions of strong, gusty winds, a high pitch rate near lift-off caused the tail strike prevention system to activate. The tail contact angle was reached, and the crew received an EICAS tail strike message.”
Thanks to the quick action of the 13 crew members the aircraft was safely pressurised to create a safe and comfortable environment for passengers, the report states.
The 52-year-old pilot then made an emergency landing in horrendous weather conditions.
