A fully packed Airlink’s Avro RJ-85 jet had to divert and make an emergency landing at King Shaka International Airport, Durban, at 9:15 p.m. on August 10.
The incident happened when the flight 4Z-8732/SA-8732 was on its way from Pietermaritzburg Airport to Johannesburg, South Africa.
According to Albert Morudi, the acting executive manager- Accident and Incident Investigation Division of SA Civil Aviation Authority, the landing gear of the aircraft did not retract after takeoff. Therefore, the pilot decided to divert and make emergency landing.
The crew asked the passengers to sit in brace position due to possibility of gear collapse on landing, however, the plane landed safely. Upon landing, the passengers praised the performance of pilots and flight crew by clapping. One of the passengers, Bruce Gordon said, “When we realized everything was okay, and we had landed safely, everyone started clapping. I didn’t realize how nervous I had been until I felt how sore my neck was.”
Braathens Regional Airways flight TF-8262 had to divert and make an emergency landing in Malmo, Sweden, on June 16th.
Air New Zealand flight NZ-268 had to return and make an emergency landing in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on October 9th.
