Close calls: Terrifying plane landings

Few moments put into perspective the insanity that is flying like hitting turbulence.

Every bump translates into thoughts of an untimely death, though when it subsides, you realise you’re far more likely to die from eating peanuts or touching your face after using the bathroom.

Plane bites it on the beach
St. Bart’s, French Caribbean

The Gustaf III Airport in St Bart’s is notoriously dangerous, with a runway of only 640 metres that plunges directly towards St Jean’s beach – a sunbathing favorite.

Thankfully, no sunbathers were injured in the filming of this crash — but to say the pilot stuck the landing on this approach might be an understatement.

Crossing paths
Barcelona, Spain

This Sky Team plane crawls along the runway at a glacial pace while a descending plane aborts its landing at the last minute after spotting it on the runway.

A hard bounce
London, UK

Spending the whole flight bouncing on the seat is not what most flyers are looking for...

Crazy crosswinds
Hamburg, Germany

Having your plane come in from crosswinds is bad enough, but having it scrape the ground with a wing before it takes off again is probably enough to make these passengers swear off flying for a long time.

Last-minute change of heart
Portugal

Every changed you mind at the last minute? This pilot has.

This isn’t how wheels work
Los Angeles, CA

There’s a saying about not reinventing the wheel, but the maintenance crew on this plane might want to think about it. Apparently, the Los Angeles-bound flight’s landing gear was stuck sideways, leaving the pilot no choice but to crash-land among smoke and fire. Which, in the scope of safe landings, is close to the bottom of the list.