KLM Airbus A321neo suffers tail strike during landing in Lisbon on KL1583 flight

On 16 June 2026, a KLM Airbus A321-252NX registered PH-AXB, operating flight KL1583 from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport, experienced a tail strike during landing on runway 02 in Lisbon.

The aircraft involved was a relatively new Airbus A321neo in KLM’s short- to medium-haul fleet. The incident occurred during the landing phase, when the rear fuselage of the aircraft made contact with the runway surface — a situation known in aviation as a tail strike. Such events typically occur during a landing flare that is too aggressive or a high angle of attack at touchdown.

According to available flight tracking and incident reports, the aircraft completed its approach and touched down in Lisbon as scheduled before the tail strike occurred. The flight had departed Amsterdam at its planned time of 12:30 local and was operating normally until landing.

Operational impact

Following the event, the aircraft was taken out of service for inspection, consistent with standard airline and manufacturer procedures for any suspected structural contact with the runway. The next rotation on the same aircraft was reportedly cancelled or reassigned while technical checks were initiated.

No information is currently available indicating injuries or emergency evacuation, suggesting the landing was otherwise controlled.

Context and technical note

The Airbus A321neo (A321-252NX variant) is a stretched, high-capacity member of the A320 family. Due to its longer fuselage compared to earlier A320 variants, it is slightly more susceptible to tail strike risk, particularly during landing flare if the pitch attitude becomes excessive.

Tail strikes are treated seriously in commercial aviation because even low-speed contact can potentially cause:

• Structural damage to the aft pressure bulkhead
• Skin deformation of the rear fuselage
• Requirement for detailed non-destructive inspection before return to service

Investigation

As with all such occurrences, the aircraft operator and relevant aviation safety authorities are expected to review:

• Flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) data
• Approach parameters (speed, sink rate, pitch attitude)
• Weather conditions at Lisbon at the time of landing
• Crew landing technique and automation configuration

At this stage, no official causal determination has been publicly confirmed.

A KLM Airbus A321-252NX (PH-AXB), operating flight #KLM1583 from Amsterdam to Lisbon, was involved in a tail strike during landing on runway 02 at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) on 16 June 2026. Via @AirNavRadar

The aircraft sustained damage to the rear fuselage and… pic.twitter.com/AxkgZGjblP

— Flight Emergency (@FlightEmergency) June 17, 2026