A plane misses its landing in Caen due to strong wind gusts, the pilot goes around at the last minute to land in Paris

The passengers of flight AF 1674 between Lyon and Caen experienced a big scare this Sunday afternoon. As the plane was preparing to land at Carpiquet airport around 4:50 p.m., the pilot finally decided to go around.

This was due to the violent gusts of wind that shook the aircraft just a few meters from the ground. “From the start, the captain warned us that the approach conditions at Caen would be difficult with a high risk of turbulence”says Pierre, a passenger from Cherbourg, interviewed by France Blue Normandy.

The flight went smoothly until approaching the airport: “Things didn't go as planned, summarizes Pierre. Just before landing, very strong gusts caused the plane to wobble from right to left. It leaned so much that, at times, one wing seemed about to touch the ground. It was a moment of panic.”

Particularly difficult weather conditions

“Curiously, most of the passengers remained calm, perhaps frozen in fear, but there were a few screams”continues Pierre. Faced with particularly difficult weather conditions in Normandy, the captain chose not to attempt a second landing.

The plane then headed to Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport, where it landed safely half an hour later, our colleagues report.

For the passengers, the coach journey was an opportunity to look back on this significant episode. “With hindsight, I remain surprised that the flight was maintained, especially with such a storm predicted in Caen”confides Pierre. “Why did you take the risk? It was really strange not to cancel it under such conditions.”