Mystery of a plane bent out of shape on rough landing

(Credit: Kyodo News Screenshot: Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)

I don't appreciate turbulence in the air.

However, a rough landing once in a while can be quite entertaining. For example, there is always something special about landing in Gibraltar, as the pilots have to brake violently in order to avoid hitting, well, Gibraltar.

I'm not sure how it would feel, though, if the plane simply bent during landing. Which is what this Boeing 767-300 managed to do.

I am grateful to the Daily Mail for first affecting my digestion by unearthing this footage from Kyodo News.

It shows an ANA 767 coming into land at Tokyo's Narita Airport on Wednesday -- during what was reportedly a windy day.

Though the plane bounced twice, the landing didn't seem entirely unusual.

But then the footage shows how the plane's aluminum skin was bent, presumably by the impact.

It resembles nothing more than a Chevy Camaro that has been in a difficult shunt on the highway, after its driver has had one too many tequilas.

I am sure that everyone with a mathematical bent will feel confident about the stress levels which a plane's body can withstand. One is always being reassured that... [Read more]