If they were intending to land they were SOL!!
Reminds me of my old instructor's story. With ATA and delivering a Wellington, there was a construction crew on the taxiway with a steam roller, so he took to the grass, being guided by on of the work crew. Given the thumbs up to go ahead, he opened up and knocked the funnel off the stream roller! Obviously they had no idea that the trailing edge of the wing was lower than the leading edge!