Wow: United Airlines Boeing 767 Suffers Wrinkled Fuselage After Hard Landing

We know that hard landings can be unpleasant - and even hazardous for those onboard an aircraft. But typically, airframes are designed to handle hard landings…welll…within limits.
A recent incident out of Houston saw a landing so hard that it resulted some wrinkles and tears to the fuselage! Let’s look at this United Airlines Boeing 767 incident for today’s video!

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[boeinkarlee]

A cool fact. This airframe was painted in 5 generations of United Livery throughout her career with the airline

[jakejacobs]

The airline I worked for had two bent 767 fuselage events. Both, more than twenty years ago. As I recall, they were bounced landings followed by nose gear touchdown with the mains still in the air. Auto spoilers were required for all normal landings after those events.

[TC.C]

United needs to stop using Ryan Air’s training DVD when teaching their pilots how to land 😂

[eamonahern]

I'd be surprised if they _don't_ retire it. The hardest landing I can remember was on a turboprop plane landing at Kerry airport many years ago. It was at night and I had dozed off. The landing woke me and there were audible expressions from other passengers.

[Peanutus]

this is most definitely an ANA 767 moment

[cellpat]

The age of the plane and that UA placed a big order of 787s to replace these, leads us to the conclusion that N641UA will more than likely be retired. It joins N646UA which was retired with extensive rust about 2 years ago.
Sad to see it end that way but that's aviation.

[mrsolotraveler]

WOW... I am sure they will retire this 767 due to its age. I would like to know the reason behind such a hard landing.

[jlmarc]

Southwest landings at Burbank always tough

[ImNotPotus]

SCENE: OPENS TO RYANAIR LANDING while narration talks about hard kiss.

[skymuffn]

…having been once a UAL SFOSW who did a slew of United Shuttle back in the day, hard landings were few and far between. In those instances I usually state on my arrival PA announcement, “Navy”!

[MykelBBY]

About 30 years ago, I was on a Delta Airlines B-727 flight from Dallas to San Antonio. Wow!! We landed really hard! The next day, I was on a Delta Airlines B-727 flight from San Antonio to Dallas. I glanced into the cockpit upon boarding, and I'll be darned, it was the same crew. The flight was uneventful until landing when we hit the ground really, really hard. We hit so hard that most of the oxygen masks fell from the ceiling. The Captain was standing outside the cockpit wishing everyone a good day and the guy in front of me suggested that he look back into the cabin. He went back into the cockpit and shut the door. That plane was likely out of service for a day or two and the Captain had some serious 'splainin' to do.

[FrewstonBooks]

I remember a VERY hard landing in an Air Canada DC9 in Ottawa back in the '80s. Runway covered in wet snow, so the pilot deliberately landed hard. Problem was I think he landed harder than he intended. Plane seemed OK in taxi to the gate, but no idea whether there was any permanent damage.

[Diggerfan]

The hardest landing I’ve experienced was heading to Orlando and coming back flying with Southwest. The 737 landed pretty hard. However, I don’t think it caused any damage.

[mredgt]

Anything else but retiring a 32yo airframe after such an impact would be plain irresponsible

[noahglavan]

This is the exact same thing what All nippon airways did since 10 years ago. When the boeing 767 did a hard landing at Tokyo.

[Roboseal]

The hardest landing Ive ever been on was a United CRJ-200 to little rock. I didn't realize this was a very common thing with that type of aircraft but I think the pilot landed a little harder than he needed to.

[andrewdrone]

Probably a lot of cycles on that airframe

[ThexMJT]

I miss 767's. Never really see them in the UK (local airport to me)

[i.r.wayright]

We all get wrinkles as we age. How many cycles of pressurization on the plane? I remember riding in the last seat to the tail in an MD-80. It was a little disconcerting watching the aft section swing around like a fish tail as we taxied along a rough taxiway. I don' think they could have stretched that model anther 1/2".

[RevKev]

Didn’t Alaska Airlines recently have a hard landing with one of its 737’s, pushed its left main gear thru the wing.