An Air France Airbus A350-941 flying from Paris to Toronto experienced a tail strike incident while landing at Toronto Pearson Airport on Sunday, January 21, 2024.
Flight AF-356, registered F-HTYH, touched down on runway 24L around 4:45 PM EST when the aircraft bounced, briefly lifted its tail, and then scraped the runway again before initiating a go-around maneuver.
According to aviation news outlet The Aviation Herald, the pilots recovered the aircraft and circled back for a safe landing on the same runway approximately 15 minutes later. There were no injuries reported among the passengers or crew.
However, the tail strike caused substantial damage to the aircraft, forcing the cancellation of the return flight to Paris. An inspection revealed significant impact to the aft fuselage, requiring further assessment and repairs.
Weather conditions at the time of the incident were reported as:
- Wind: 260 degrees at 9 knots (15 km/h)
- Visibility: 15 statute miles (24 kilometers)
- Clouds: Scattered at 3,000 feet (914 meters), scattered at 17,000 feet (5,182 meters), and scattered at 25,000 feet (7,620 meters)
- Temperature: -4 degrees Celsius (24 degrees Fahrenheit)
- Dewpoint: -10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit)
Air France has not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident.
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