Airplane Endures Bumpy Landing at Heathrow amid Storm Gerrit
American Airlines flight 134 defies powerful Storm Gerrit as it bravely touches down at Heathrow Astonishing footage from Big Jet TV captures the Boeing 777 veering sideways and bouncing along the runway, showcasing the pilot's remarkable skills in combating the treacherous winds
Don't miss out on the weekly newsletter, Unlocking the World, from CNN Travel. Stay updated on the latest aviation news, food and drink trends, accommodations, and other travel updates.
The UK and Ireland experienced a tumultuous end to Christmas as Storm Gerrit swept in from the Atlantic on Wednesday, bringing strong winds and flooding.
Aviation was thrown into chaos, resulting in flight cancellations across multiple countries. Air traffic restrictions at Heathrow led to significant delays and cancellations in the UK, affecting airports such as Manchester and Glasgow. British Airways, the UK's flag carrier, had to cancel 13 flights due to the weather. Dublin Airport in Ireland remained unaffected, but Cork experienced four diversions to Dublin and Shannon. Additionally, planes that were able to take off encountered challenges while attempting to land in the storm.
On December 27, a video captured a rough landing of an American Airlines flight at Heathrow. The Boeing 777, arriving from Los Angeles, swayed and briefly tilted to the left before appearing to bounce on the runway before finally coming to a stop.
Big Jet TV owner Jerry Dyer, who often arranges live streams at airports globally to observe incoming flights, captured the "insane" landing. He has a special fondness for stormy weather.
In 2022, Dyer revealed to CNN his fascination with the challenge of man versus nature during a storm at an airport. "Whenever there are strong winds or storms, I always find myself at Heathrow," he shared.
The airport becomes hushed as the priest offers blessings to the planes. "It's much more thrilling to witness than planes simply landing and touching down. It's a struggle, isn't it? It's the elements of nature versus a metal tube with wings that we created and must safely guide to the ground amidst Mother Nature's gusts of wind."
"Its a fantastic thing to watch."
His livestream of Storm Eunice in 2022, in which planes battled to land at Heathrow despite 122 mile-per-hour winds battering the UK, captivated the entire country.
Wednesday saw over 200 reports of severe wind gusts in Britain and Ireland, including a potential tornado in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester. The European Storm Forecast Experiment (ESTOFEX) maintained a level 2 of 3 threat for severe storms in far southeastern Ireland and west-central UK until early Thursday morning. During the AA flight, Dyers provided lively commentary, noting the air "vortex" around the wings before expressing concern as the plane bounced down the runway.
The day plane spotting took over the UK
"How he did not go around I just have no idea," he commented.
Flight AA134, which left LA on December 26, arrived just one minute past schedule at 11:41 a.m. on December 27, as reported by FlightRadar. After a brief layover, the flight departed for Dallas and arrived ahead of time with a new crew.
