Video Shows the Hair-Raising Moment a Decommissioned Military Plane Lands Just Feet from Spectators

The Transall C-160 was making its final landing at Ballenstedt in Germany and as it approached the ground -- toward a pack of 1,000 onlookers -- the pilot lost sight of the runway causing the aircraft to dip dramatically close to those watching it.

According to LiveLeak, the plane weighs 31 tons and came within only a few feet of plane spotters as it was brought down too soon and clipped the side of the road. As Live Leak put it, some onlookers were "within inches of death."

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

The near fatal event actually took place in October but didn't really start going viral on the Web until recently. This photo from the German newspaper Bild shows the perspective of those closest to the landing plane.

(Photo: Bild-Zietung/leserreporter via Daily Mail)

Shortly after the event, the Bild reported this account of the incident (translation from German to English via Google):

Around 1000 spectators witnessed with the scary moments from the ground - some in dangerous proximity. "After two rounds place came down the machine," says reader reporter Herbert Dzienkowski (62).

The pensioner sees the 44-year old behemoth tears the slope of the road, the road touched, but still with a set of jumps on the sea of ​​runway.

The situation is dramatic, especially among the 40-meter-wide wings and rotors parents are with their children. Apparently, the police did not have the barrier of entry lane expect such an incident.

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

Check out this close up view of how narrowly the plane missed the crowd, especially those on its right side:

This angle is further away, but you see the wing skip on the far side near the crowd:

NYC Aviationist reported earlier this year that the aircraft will be on display at Wernigerode Air Museum.

Bild stated that an investigation would not be conducted to discover what might have led to this incident because the plane was decommissioned and would no longer be flying.

For more, check out the dramatic photos from the perspective of onlookers on the other side on the Daily Mail here.