Plane landing

[Atadconfussed]

Trigger warning flying for those that may not be keen … x

Am I being unreasonable to think that the below was a bit concerning / any pilots want to enlighten me?!
have flown a lot when younger / pre children but felt this was different

budget airline flight, approx 300 passengers Boeing 737
landing very wobbly on approach ( think close to runway)
huge bang on landing / touch down landing gear
worst bit!!! Very very intense what felt like attempts to break without slowing …. Loudest reverse thrust noise ever and the cabin shaking so so much
I felt pinned back in my seat and awaited a huge issue!
afterwards everyone was studded … one women crying and a few choice words heard through the cabin….
Thoughts please

I honestly highly recommend the easyJet flying without fear course just for the content, fascinating for those of us who don’t like flying

I haven't flown since 2019 and feel as though I've lost my nerve now. Our last trips have been by car/ferry and feel anxious at the thought of getting on a plane again.

Worst landing for me was on a BMI flight home from Naples. As soon as it took off we knew there was a problem due to strange noises and bangs. The landing gear had broke, we had to stay in the air for 2 hours burning fuel and then emergency landing in Milan. Long delay where we were going to have to get a coach but then a new plane was flown over and the smoothest flight back home safely. I got over that and flew regularly but why now after all these years do I remember it so vividly? Don't even know why I'm thinking about flying because we're not in a position to go anywhere now!

The smaller jets are usually like that.

As for loud thrusters and what seems like desperate breaking and rattling - that's every flight but the smaller ones you really feel it. 747s you barely notice it at all but the 737s you get good ones and ones that sound and feel like they are breaking up. Kids had their first flights last year - way out really nice 737 smooth as a babies bum and not so loud. Way back was the cheapest put together plane, horrible seats and landing was like the walls of the cabin were going to rip off like tin foil. Kids were terrified. Also depends on the runway - shorter run ways do require extreme breaking.

Greed plus a total lack of concern for passenger comfort and emotional wellbeing. Welcome to Ryanair…

Have you read the thread @AgathasArmy?

I flew to and from Malaga last week on Ryanair - both landings were fast and hard. Also flew with them to Bergamo last year and was the same

@Atadconfussed

Confused
Brake

Glad everyone had a safe landing. There may have been a strong cross wind or gusts of wind which made the pilot struggle to hold a smooth straight course.

@JulesJules

My most exciting landing was into Kai Tak, steep and angled approach in between apartment blocks.

FWIW whilst Kai Tak has long gone (and TBF the stories about that approach have tended to grow with the telling over the years) there are places/approaches around that even now present similar challenges for the flight crew and stunning views if you get a window seat on the relevant side.

Some PPs will be aware of the "Canarsie" into JFK which has a low level turn just before landing, and probably one of the most spectacular approaches I've seen is one into EWR ( US - Newark)....with the right weather (cloud base, visibility and wind) you approach heading south, flying just west of Manhattan at low altitude, past the Statue of Liberty and then make a tight'ish turn right to land on Newarks short runway..

There are a few things to keep in mind. First -
A 737 costs around $100m - if the pilot breaks it, it comes out of his/her wages.

Second, and joking apart, given modern flight control systems, aircraft can now land safely in pretty rough flying conditions. That aside, flying conditions develop over time and previous aircraft landings will be monitored by the tower.

If unsafe, the airport would be closed. Further, the pilot is responsible for the safety of the passengers and crew. I am very sure they can choose to divert to another airport if they want to.

Personally, my memorable/worst/best landing, by far, was into Gdansk a few years ago. It was like a roller-coaster. It was so bad they could have charged extra for the adrenaline rush. But, yes, a lot of adults and children didn't enjoy it and were very distressed - but the pilot got us down okay and there was no need to divert.

Now, the flight is just a "what was your worst flight" story to tell in the pub.

In time, your experience will be just a funny story to tell in the pub too...
🍻😀

Sounds like an unstable approach and possibly V ref speed too high. As for landing in dense fog this is most likely a cat3a or cat3c carried out completely automatically. Very safe.

Dependent on the weather sometimes a hard landing is required. A 737 does not carry 300 passengers, there would be around 189 max (ex cabin crew here)

I’m a frequent flyer with Ryan, same route every time.
My experience is a hard landing more often than not. I prepare for it now. Hold my jaw in such away that my crowns don’t crash together on impact. Brace myself too.
There are always lots of comments from the passengers who aren’t used to the route.
So I gather it’s a fairly unusual experience or maybe not after reading this thread.

Wow...

That's a stretch and unfair on the crew...( though the company would know).

From what is written in the OP what makes you think anything was unstable or the V ref was amiss?

As for CAT Xs and autolands, I saw no mention of fog in the OP and many regional airports don't offer or allow anything below Cat 1...not sure if that was the case here.

And were you towards the back of the plane?
So much worse at the back hence the higher charges for booking seats nearer the front

Ryanair and the economy pilots

When I mentioned fog I was referring to another post about fog.

OK, but I'm still puzzled about the need to start chucking in speculation about "unstable approach" and the V ref comments.

Even as a professional sat down the back on a flight IMHO it's impossible to know what V ref has been put in the FMC and unless an utter foul up has been made it's pretty much impossible from the cabin to decide whether the professional's up front have made the required stable approach gate(s) or not.

As far as the OP goes - we are back to the basics that the lack of extended float/flare, firm landing, use of max reverse and a high level of deceleration are all to be expected if landing on a shortish and possibly contaminated runway.

Worst flight of my life Sunday 18/Mon 19 Dec flying Aer Lingus JFK to Dublin - delayed leaving as one passenger fainted and the other sick….so the plane left hour and a half late …. That’s ok as night flight and turned left so fizz helped and then meal etc - lots of turbulents all the way so belts on landed ok bumpy - in the middle of business so didn’t feel much then rushed to connecting flight Dublin to Birmingham - missed the flight and put on next flight - half the flight we’re going to a Funeral in Birmingham so all dressed in black … flight half full … we are in Row 1 - take off ok bit blustery and only 35 mins to Birmingham… bumpy and lots of turbulence - steward and stewardess sat down quite quickly quick descent then near landing and then wings were tipping and pulled up fast…. Felt really sick and I never have had motion sickness - 10 mins going round and then descent again - my OH said shut your eyes and breathe - had head in sick bag - plane was silent…missed that landing too - crying and hysterical just awful - stewardess was white ….had to divert to Manchester which was still bumpy but apparently better for landing on gusty day ! We landed and there was no sound no clapping just silence everyone was so relieved to be on Terra firma - then spent 2 hours sat on plane at Manchester as emergency and not prepared for us and no crew to unload etc.
The Captain came through the plane and explained that Birmingham was tricky on the south runway as blocks of flats and a tree line caused the wind to funnel which made it more difficult…..Finally got put on a really old bus to be driven back to Birmingham - poor Funeral families had missed their funeral and just wanted to fly back to Dublin.

As I left the plane I hugged the steward (who was very sweaty I realised) and said I would never fly again ….he said you will!!

I don't fly (can't) but I love watching planes land and take off.. however I am really here for the Cabin Pressure references. I even have a Cabin Pressure related ringtone recorded for me by the actor (won't say who, outing, etc, boring).

Aviation (A-BOMB! A-BOMB!)... is fascinating stuff! :D

Someone I know was working on one of those BA flights that tried to land at Heathrow during storm Eunice. She said it wasn’t a pleasant experience 😂

Ryanair 737-800 maximum passenger load is 189, so not 300 passengers. Boeing advocate a firm landing in their performance calculations. Max reverse thrust and max braking may save the aircraft from going off the other end of the runway so the noise and being pinned back in your seat is a safer option than silence.

We flew into Bristol a couple years ago, beautiful summers day, sun shining. Several instances of feeling like the plane was falling a few hundred feet on the approach (those thermals are a bugger), very similar landing as you’ve described. As has been said before, the being pinned back in the seat is normal from my experience, loud reverse thrust is normal. I’d say your landing was both normal and a success.