JetBlue liner with twisted gear performs successful emergency landing in LA

Everyone on board the jetliner was praying shortly before the actual landing of the aircraft in LA

Pilots of a passenger jetliner of JetBlue Airways performed a dramatic, albeit safe landing in Los Angeles today's morning. All 145 people on board were urgently evacuated from the plane, the nose wheels of which had twisted 90 degrees to the left. No one suffered as a result of the emergency landing.

The plane departed from the city of Burbank bound to New York. When taking off the wheels of the plane's front gear twisted and it became impossible to retract them. The pilots were well aware of the fact that it would be very hard to land the aircraft with such a serious breakage. When the plane was approaching the Kennedy airport, the pilots reported an emergency. Specialists of the airport's ground services concluded that they would not be able to accept the jetliner for landing: the runway was too short for such a complicated landing, they said. The pilots were told to fly across the USA to California and try to land at the airport of Los Angeles, which has the USA's longest runway.

Passenger jetliner with twisted gear lands successfully - Photo gallery

Mass media started reporting about the aircraft in distress immediately. News reports were broadcast on board the plane: the passengers were thus informed of what they would have to experience in several hours.

After at least two hours of making wide circles over the Pacific Ocean, where it dumped fuel intended for its five-hour flight to avoid a possible blaze on touchdown, the aircraft's pilot decided to land. Scores of emergency services and fire engines raced alongside the stricken plane. The plane started landing on the rear wheels. All major TV channels were broadcasting the landing of the jetliner. The back wheels touched down successfully, but when the twisted front gear touched the runway, the wheels went ablaze. Smoke and sparks were seen coming from the front gear of the plane, but the aircraft did not catch fire and eventually stopped. Passengers began disembarking normally using rolling stairways a few minutes after it rolled to a stop on the tarmac.

Some of the passengers told media outlets that there was no panic on board while the plane was losing height, although everyone was praying shortly before the actual landing of the aircraft in LA.

Source: agencies

AP photo