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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Matthew Dresch

Terrifying moment cool-headed pilot lands shaking plane during Storm Freya

This terrifying video shows the moment a cool-headed pilot landed his plane in stormy conditions.

Passengers on the flight from Newcastle to Belfast were left shaken by the bumpy landing.

Captain Steve Freeman had to use a 'crabbing style' to counter 35 mile-per-hour crosswinds caused by Storm Freya.

Footage from inside the cockpit shows the easyJet aircraft, which was carrying 186 passengers, wobbling as it approaches the runway.

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Steve said: "Experience does come into it but I actually enjoy it as it requires more focus as you realise there's a little bit more of a risk than on a normal day. But when I look at weather like that I say 'bring it on'."

His co-pilot, Ajit Sidhu, 22, added: "This is not about hoping it will go well - it's on us to make the right decisions."

The captain landed the plane using a 'crabbing style', which is when a pilot flies sideways with the front of the aircraft pointing into the wind, before straightening out for landing.

Steve and Ajit were alerted to the stormy weather as they were approaching their destination.

In the video, after Steve lands the plane, Ajit says 'you make it look so easy', prompting the captain to reply 'that's not what I felt in here'.

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The pair were just below the 43-mile-per-hour wind limit for safe landings.

The clip featured in the final episode of ITV's easyJet: Inside the Cockpit documentary, which aired yesterday.

Winds reached up to 76 miles-per-hour during Storm Freya in March.

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