I read the same article in The Mail.
While it was pretty clear to anyone who knew or cared a jot about aviation that they were describing a tailstrike, and anyone looking at the pictures will recognise the APU access panels, this is the kind of lazy and irresponsible writing that gives punters the heeby jeebies.
Anyone who remembers the American A300 that lost it's tail (in 2001 or 2002 coming out of New York) must have been alarmed to read the headline.