Ryanair passengers applaud pilot after plane ‘bounces’ back into air while landing at windy Manchester Airport

Travellers said their plane briefly touched down on the runway at Manchester - only to become airborne again a few seconds later.
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Ryanair passengers have applauded a pilot who successfully landed a plane during challenging windy conditions.

Travellers on board the RK1248 flight from Tenerife to Manchester Airport on Wednesday (12 April) afternoon said their plane briefly touched down on the runway at Manchester - only to become airborne again a few seconds later. The plane, which was packed with families and Easter travellers, then had to circle in the air for about 15 minutes again in driving winds, eventually touching down slightly later than scheduled.

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One Ryanair traveller said all the passengers had fallen silent during the incident but then the whole flight broke into applause when it eventually touched down safely around 7.50pm, about 20 minutes after it was scheduled to land.

The frequent flyer, from Lancashire, said: “I have been flying for decades now and it has never happened before. The plane was being buffeted badly as we attempted to land. After touching the ground (the pilot) suddenly gunned the engines and we went up again.

“It all went quiet on the plane and the crew calmly announced the pilot was not happy with the plane’s stability. There was no panicking no cyring but I have to say it was a bit hairy. The crew said he would circle until he felt able to have a second attempt.

“About 15 minutes later he dropped again and the wind was still strong but the pilot nailed it. Textbook landing. The whole plane burst into spontaneous applause! I can’t praise the crew and pilots highly enough They were so calm and professional. I know pilots train for this kind of event but it was a bit unnerving - I am sure it was the same for him.”

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It came after the city-region was buffeted by strong winds on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the Met Office issuing weather warnings.

A Ryanair spokesperson said: “A standard go-around was conducted, which is not uncommon when landing in challenging conditions, such as strong winds.”