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Cathay Pacific Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Hong Kong

Cathay Pacific flight CX-899 made an emergency landing in Hong Kong, China, on February 10th.

The Airbus A350-900 plane flying from Newark, New Jersey, was on approach to Hong Kong when the crew reported an issue with nose wheel steering.

The plane subsequently landed safely and was towed to the gate.

All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.

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Delta Flight 5358 Lands in Emergency at Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport

DeltaDelta Airlines flight 5358 had to make an emergency landing at Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA), at about 10:20 p.m. on June 12.

Airport director Kelly Johnson confirmed that the flight, which departed for Atlanta at about 9:20 a.m., was forced to return and make an emergency landing, after which, the aircraft lost the directional steering of its nose wheel.

He further said that all 50 passengers and 3 crew members aboard the plane were unharmed.

After landing, the pilots learned that one of the tires was flat.

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Air France Airbus Flight Cancelled

On March 2, 2013, an Airbus A380 (flight 275) scheduled to fly from Narita International Airport to Paris aborted a takeoff on runway 34L at Tokyo-Narita. The takeoff was delayed because of a nose gear problem, and subsequently towed to the gate. After maintenance, the takeoff was rescheduled but aborted a second time because of the same trouble, canceling the flight. None of the 537 aboard were injured.

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Indonesia: Plane Stuck in the Mud

On January 3, 2013, a Garuda Indonesia Bombardier CRJ-600-2E25 en route from Sorong Airport to Renani Airport suffered a runway excursion after landing.

The number of passengers aboard was not release.

No one was injured and the plane didn’t suffer any damage but it did get stuck.

The pilots apparently tried to turn on the runway and its nose wheel got mired.

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Emergency Landing in Mumbai

An IndiGo flight en route from Srinagar to Mumbai developed a problem with a nose wheel, leading to the pilot requesting priority landing at Mumbai.

Emergency services were on hand when the pilot made the emergency landing. No injuries were reported.

The plane was towed to the gate.

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Air Europa Airbus Runs over Debris.

On April 16, 2013, an Air Europa Airbus A330-202 #EC-JPF was en route from Madrid-Barajas Airport to Caracas-Simón Bolívar International Airport in Venezuela.

However, the flight took off after an Aéromexico tail strike, and ran over fuselage debris which punctured a nose gear tire.

Pilots circled the airport, and returned to Barajas where they made a safe landing at 19:30 with emergency services on standby.

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US Airways Makes Emergency Landing

What: US Airways Embraer 170
Where: Indianapolis
When: Jan 2, 2012 7:30
Who: 70 aboard
Why: On Jan 2, 2012, at 7:30, a US Airways Embraer 170 en route from Indianapolis to Philadelphia flight developed a nose wheel problem. The flight diverted to Indianapolis where they made a safe landing at 7:40.

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Fed Ex Plane Lands with Tire Missing

What: FedEx ATR-42-300 en route from Minneapolis/St Paul to Duluth
Where: Duluth
When: Sept 29, 2012
Who: crew
Why: A Fed Ex flight landed safely at Duluth International Airport on one tire.

The flight circled the airport for an hour before making a safe landing minus a tire. The tire went missing somewhere en route and did a flyby to confirm before circling and eventually landing.

The event is under investigation.

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Air India Pilot Lands Safely Minus Nose Wheel


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Frank-Thomas Klütsch

What: Air India Avion de Transport Regional ATR-42-300 en route from Silchar to Guwahati
Where: Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoli International Airport in Guwahati
When: Jun 10th 2012
Who: 48 passengers, 4 crew
Why: On takeoff from Silchar, the (left) nose wheel detached.

The crew was en route when the pilot received a message that one of the plane’s nosewheels had been found on the Silchar runway by someone at ATC.

There were five wheels remaining on the plane-one remaining nosewheel, and two pairs of main wheels.

Passengers were alarmed when the crew removed heavy items from the cockpit to shift the center of gravity further back in the plane, and when landing, keep the nose up as long as possible.

The pilot, Captain Urmila Yadav performed a flyby for visual confirmation, circled to burn off fuel and made a safe landing. She and co-pilot Yashu were later commended for her skill by the DGCA. Yadav has 4,000 hours in the cockpit.

Emergency crews were on standby during the landing.

An inquiry into the emergency has been initiated.

In George’s Point of View


Whoever found that fallen nosewheel left on the runway should also be commended. Without that crucial information, the outcome of this incident may have been different.

And while there are many pilots who consider this a “routine” emergency, and the fact that the 4,000 hr pilot is a woman is irrelevant because as long as she is in the Captain seat, she is a pilot first, we do believe in recognition for a job well-done. Good job, Captain Urmila Yadav. Maybe the good captain agrees with us that someone should give maintenance a slap on the wrist.

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Saudi Arabian Airlines Lands On Nose


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Ian Clarke

What: Saudi Arabian Airlines/Onur Air Airbus A300-600 en route from Madinah to Jeddah
Where: Jeddah
When: May 1 2012
Who: 10 crew
Why: Pilots had an indication of unsafe nose gear and landed without nose gear at Jeddah at 12:55. Emergency crew (reported as “civil defense but that could have been a translation error” sprayed the runway. The crew disembarked via slides. There were no injuries reported.

The flight was “a special flight from the western town,” with ten crew and no passengers. We assume a ferry flight.

The video shows mobile stairs that are up for the post flight check-up, but notice the steep angle of the slide at the rear of the plane.

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Emergency Landing in Verona


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Manuel Mueller

What: Lufthansa/Air Dolomiti Avion de Transport Regional ATR-72-500 en route from Verona (Italy) to Munich
Where: Verona
When: Apr 28th 2012
Who: 34 passengers and 4 crew
Why: While taking off from Verona, the plane lost a nose wheel.

Pilots returned to the airport making a safe landing after they burned off fuel. Emergency services on standby in the event of a possible fire intervention were not needed.

A replacement plane was flown in to transport passengers.

According to initial investigations, the plane may have broken a pin that affixes the wheel.