A FedEx plane drags its nose across the runway after the landing gear fails
A FedEx cargo plane successfully landed without landing gear. The plane was more than nine years old.
Operated by a Boeing-767 cargo plane fedex It encountered some bumps and sparks while trying to land at Istanbul Airport in Türkiye without a front landing gear on Wednesday.
The cargo plane, operated by FedEx, was flying from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, according to a report. Statement by the Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir OralogluThat’s when the plane’s pilot informed the control tower at Istanbul Airport that its landing gear had not opened. The official said that airport officials quickly took action and helped the plane land, while it managed to remain on the runway. Uralsoglu said emergency response, medical teams and necessary firefighting equipment were also deployed on standby.
Video footage of the landing shows the plane landing on the runway before leaning forward and beginning to drag on the front of the runway, creating a cloud of dust and sparks. Eventually the plane comes to a stop with the fuselage touching the ground. When the plane stopped, fire engines doused the plane with water.
“Thanks to the successful guidance of our employees, the plane landed smoothly on its fuselage,” Uraloglu said.
No injuries were reported
There were two pilots on board the plane, according to Uraloglu’s statement, and they were medically evaluated after landing. No injuries were reported.
The runway where the plane landed was temporarily closed to all flights as multiple agencies gathered at the site. A video clip shared by the minister shows crews and officials gathered around the plane while a fire truck and an ambulance were parked on the side.
Uraloglu said that the investigation into the accident is continuing, without going into more details about the cause of the failure of the landing gear.
Another problem for Boeing? Don’t fall for the headlines.
The cargo plane involved in the accident is approximately 10 years old and was delivered to FedEx in 2014, according to a Boeing spokesperson. After delivery, operators oversee ongoing maintenance of operational aircraft. Reuters reported this The Boeing 767 freighter is one of the most popular freighter aircraft.
Meanwhile, FedEx, in a statement to USA TODAY, said FedEx Express Flight 6268 was flying from Paris to Istanbul when it encountered a problem during landing.
“No injuries to our crew members were reported,” FedEx said. “We are coordinating with investigative authorities and will provide additional information as it becomes available.”
Although Boeing accidents have been in the news in recent months after a series of high-profile incidents, aviation experts stress there is no need to worry about flying.
“There’s no need to worry about a systemic error in flight,” Clint Balogh, an associate professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, previously told USA TODAY.
Contributing: Staff, USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected] and follow her on X @saman_shafiq7.