Well "he landed the deal" implies a score or a hit. So to say they "landed" the planes could vaguely make sense but it is hardly good English. They might have been thinking of "grounded"?
'Grounded' means the plane could not take off. It was on the ground and must remain there.
Landing a deal (or a fish) is like landing a plane. A human acts to cause a desired outcome. Unlike forcing a pilot to involuntarily land a plane, the perspective of the fish as involuntarily being forced to land is not a necessary inference for this use of 'land'.
Landing a deal (or a fish) is like landing a plane. A human acts to cause a desired outcome. Unlike forcing a pilot to involuntarily land a plane, the perspective of the fish as involuntarily being forced to land is not a necessary inference for this use of 'land'.
Geez, language can be subtle.