Terrifying moment passenger jet comes in to land at Madeira airport as the plane is


  • The TAP Air Portugal Airbus was landing following a flight from Porto Santo
  • A cloud of smoke appears around the jet as the wheels touch down
  • Madeira Airport is world’s ninth most dangerous airport, claims History Channel

This is the terrifying moment a passenger jet comes in to land at Madeira Airport while being thrown around by strong winds before bouncing down the runway.

In footage of the wild landing, the TAP Air Portugal Airbus can first be seen soaring through the sky following a flight from Porto Santo, to the airport in Santa Cruz.

But although things seem to be running smoothly, the jet soon starts to swerve from side to side as it attempts to keep balance before landing.

Strong gusts appear to become more of a challenge as the aircraft topples to the right as mountains and sea come into view.

In a hear-stopping moment the plane then begins to wobble and nosedive towards the airport ground before being dragged back up into the air.

The TAP Air Portugal Airbus can be seen in terrifying footage swerving mid-air before making an unstable landing at Madeira Airport

The TAP Air Portugal Airbus can be seen in terrifying footage swerving mid-air before making an unstable landing at Madeira Airport

The flight was coming in from Porto Santo

There was a cloud of smoke as the wheels touched down

After a wobbly descent, the plane finally touched down before bouncing down the runway

A cloud of smoke appeared around the plane's wheels as it finally made contact with the runway

A cloud of smoke appeared around the plane’s wheels as it finally made contact with the runway

The passenger jet can be seen twisting and turning mid-air as it continues its bumpy descent.

Footage then shows the Madeira airport  runway coming into view, with tensions rising as to whether the plane will be able to make a smooth, safe landing.

Leaning from left to right, the jet edges closer towards the painted track, leaving viewers gripping the edges of their seats.

After one final nosedive, the plane shakes as its front wheels touch down, causing the jet to skid down the runway as a cloud of smoke appears around the aircraft.

The rear wheels rise and fall – making the plane begin to bounce down the track as it slowly heads towards what looks like the edge of a cliff.

Finally the jet, which luckily seated no passengers at the time, appears to be under control following the dodgy landing.

It is peacefully steered in a straight line down the remainder of the runway before the footage is ended.

The video was uploaded to the Madeira Airport Spotting YouTube channel where plane fans claimed: ‘This is for sure the wildest landing ever at Madeira Airport!’

Over 640 viewers also flooded the comment section with their thoughts on the bizarre landing.

One said: ‘I’m no expert, but 1) It looks wildly unstable on finals, 2) They touch down beyond the touchdown zone and 3) They touched down with the nose gear first. I’m quite astounded they continued with that approach let alone attempted a landing’.

Another added: ‘I have NEVER seen such a landing. WOW. As I heard many years ago in flight school, “You can ALWAYS go around”‘.

A third chimed in: ‘It is absolutely insane this touchdown. Go Around and try again Captain!!!!!!’

Madeira is an archipelago found in the North Atlantic Ocean. 

It is nearly 250 miles north of the Canaries and 320 miles west of Morocco, making it subject to several climate systems – including harsh winds.

According to The History Channel’s Most Extreme Airports, Madeira Airport is ranked the world’s ninth most dangerous airport, and the third most dangerous in Europe.

Crews have to take on extra flight training to land there. 



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