German airline says pilots averted major crash

German airline Lufthansa said on
Monday its pilots had averted a crash at Hamburg airport after a
strong gust of wind caused a plane, with 130 passengers on
board, to veer dangerously on landing.

Amateur video footage, played repeatedly on German
television, showed the Airbus A320 buffeted by crosswinds and
driving rain as it landed on Saturday at Fuhlsbuettel airport
near the northern German port city.

The plane approached the asphalt runway at an odd angle,
then swerved sharply before touching down, with one of its wings
scraping the ground. The pilots averted disaster by quickly
taking off again, going into a so-called go-around manoeuvre.

"Just before landing, the plane was hit by a very strong
gust of wind that led to the left wing touching the ground very
briefly," said Juergen Raps, Lufthansa executive vice president
of operations.

"The pilots reacted outstandingly by inducing a go-around."

No passengers or crew were injured and the plane, which had
taken off from Munich, circled for about 10 minutes before
landing safely on another runway.

Gale force winds caused chaos in Germany and other central
European countries over the weekend, killing several people and
causing power cuts as well as major travel disruption.