Delta Plane Safely Lands After Touching Down in Charlotte Without Front Landing Gear

Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-800 commercial aircraft as seen on final approach landing at Ne
Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Hannah Knudsen

A Delta Air Lines plane touched down safely in Charlotte, North Carolina, Wednesday morning after it was forced to land without its front landing gear extended.

The Boeing 717, which departed from Atlanta, made the landing at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport Wednesday morning. According to reports, there were 96 passengers on board in addition to three flight attendants and two pilots, the latter of whom were able to land the plane without the front landing gear. There were no reported injuries as a result, and passengers exited the plane via the emergency slides.

One flight passenger told WSOC that the crew informed them of the issue with the landing gear during the flight and “instructed us to go over safety information.”

“We came in low once and then climbed again. Second time had us brace but the landing was smooth. No jarring or even loud noises,” the passenger said. “We were in the back so that may have been why. Everyone evacuated via slides. No injuries as far as I know. Crew and pilots were wonderful!”

Other passengers told Channel 9′s Almiya White that the landing actually felt smoother than a normal landing, and one video appears to show that as well.

Airport officials confirmed on social media Wednesday morning that the runway remained closed due to a “mechanical issue” with the plane.

“Update: Runway 18R/36L is currently closed following a mechanical issue with Delta Air Lines. No injuries reported. Passengers returned to the terminal. The Airport is working to remove the aircraft and reopen the runway,” CLT airport wrote in an update.

“Due to a runway closure, passengers are advised to check with their airline on the status of their flight before coming to the Airport,” it added.

In a statement, Delta Air Lines reiterated that “nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people.”

“While this is a rare occurrence, Delta flight crews train extensively to safely manage through many scenarios and flight 1092 landed safely without reported injuries,” the statement reads. “We apologize to our customers for their experience.”

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