landfall

2 definitions • 3 examples

the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact of arriving there:

Shannon Airport in Ireland was the first European landfall for planes flying from North America.

After a long and gruelling flight, they finally made landfall in Florida.

a situation in which someone or something reaches land after being at sea:

Tropical storm Bonnie made landfall on Florida's Panhandle.