Posted on 04/19/2025 8:21:52 PM PDT by george76
Passengers were left in fear for their lives when a pilot encountered landing difficulties while operating a Frontier Airlines flight bound for Puerto Rico.
Frontier Flight 5306 from Orlando was carrying 228 passengers and approaching Luis Marín Muñoz International Airport in San Juan on Monday when its landing was aborted at the last second.
The Airbus A321 encountered a 'mechanical problem' when one of the wheels broke off the front landing gear, the airline told El Nuevo Día newspaper.
FlightAware - the flight tracking company - showed that aircraft flew around the airport four times and made a second landing attempt.
The airplane was about 500 feet from another runway and continued its flight path, circling around again prior to landing at 10:54 p.m.
Luis Irizarry, who has investigated other aviation accidents, told WAPA television that the aircraft was not stable on its first approach.
'The plane was coming in, but it was in an unstable pattern. It wasn't stabilized for landing,' Izarrry claimed, citing information he gathered from sources on the ground. 'While trying to land, it hit the runway with its nose wheel.'
The expert said the wheel broke from the left side and some of its piece ended in the engine.
...
he co-pilot had recently started flying with the low-budget airline
'The information we have is that the person flying was the copilot, and the copilot was a new pilot for the airline. When I say new, I mean a young pilot, with a thousand or so flight hours,' he said.
'Perhaps it was his first flight, flying solo and not with a supervisor or a trainer, and that's the situation we fear. That's why the plane wasn't stable because he didn't have it under control.'
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Every airport should have a runway covered 10 feet in gummy bears on standby just in case something like this happens. Again, only in the case of an emergency. Not for eating.
Fine time to lose me loose wheel.
It’s better than a wing falling off.
AVIATION PING!....................
From the article:
“...When the nose wheel hit the plane, the pilot grabbed it...”
It’s better than landing upside down!
Everyone walked away. No casualties. Hence a good landing.
T.B. Yoits beat you to it.
Terrified Frontier Airlines passengers fear ‘the end’ as Puerto Rico-bound plane’s wheel breaks off in hard landing
04/18/2025 5:35:02 AM PDT · by T.B. Yoits · 27 replies
The New York Post ^ | 4/17/2025 | Nicholas McEntyre
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4311768/posts
That's Spirit Airlines.
There needs to be a new comedy series on TV.
It will be a lot like RENO 911, but it will be based at an airport instead of a police station. Guaranteed hit!
All tickets on a flight that’s using a trainee pilot should be 50% off, heh. And the light attendants should get danger pay.
"Every airport should have a runway covered 10 feet in gummy bears"
From the article:
“...When the nose wheel hit the plane, the pilot grabbed it...”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
“When I nod my head, you hit it...”
Didn’t think of that.
I know they are, first hand..
Heard the rumor and had to check it out.
They are.. extremely..
Reminds me of that LAX Airbus with the front landing gear cocked 90°.
Flew him around for an hour or more to lighten the load.
Came in and scraped along. he front gear might have needed emplacement.
Every landing while on an Airbus I remember that.
Forgot to torque the lugnuts?
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