AA flight makes emergency landing after nose gear fails

WCBS 880 ^

[Sub-Driver]

AA flight makes emergency landing after nose gear fails Tuesday September 02, 2003 NEW YORK (AP) An American Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Kennedy International Airport on Tuesday after its nose landing gear malfunctioned, officials said.

No one was hurt as Flight 1048 bound for Newark, N.J., from Dallas-Forth Worth came down on the tarmac, using the landing gear under the middle part of the aircraft, said Todd Burke, an American Airlines spokesman.

All 128 passengers and the crew of five used normal exits to leave the aircraft, said Tiffany Townsend, a spokeswoman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs both Kennedy and Newark Liberty International Airport.

Flight 1048, which had taken off from the Dallas-Forth Worth Airport, landed at Kennedy at 11:36 a.m., Townsend said.

Fire-retardant foam was sprayed around the plane after landing as a precautionary measure, she said.

The problem started as the plane was preparing to land in Newark, Burke said.

The captain received an instrument signal that the nose landing gear which includes the wheels was not fully extended, the AA spokesman said.

``As a precaution, he elected to go to JKF, which has longer runways,'' Burke said. ``The plane made a very smooth landing and eventually made contact with runway and came to a rest on its nose.''

[cmsgop]

Betcha it was an MD-80.

[agitator]

I was on a flight like this twice before. Turned out to be a malfunctioning microswitch on the landing gear. They go through more than the average amount of pre-landing emergency procedures and the plane usually does a few passes over the airport so ground control can see if the gear is extended or not. The pilot then lands the plane and tries to keep the nose off the ground for as long as possible. In my case, there were a few white knuckles on board but certainly no hollywood scenes of panic.

[Sub-Driver]

From: Dallas/Fort Worth TX US To: Newark NJ US
NON-STOP
AA 1048
From:DFW To:EWR
6:34 AM 10:47AM
Trm:0 M80 Trm:A
Meal: B

[dogbrain]

FReepmail...

[Reeses]

Fire-retardant foam was sprayed around the plane after landing as a precautionary measure

Sounds like a big waste of foam. Were they expecting the nose wheel to catch on fire?

[You Dirty Rats]

Big waste of foam?!?

The front of the plane contacted the runway! Sparks, maybe?

[Cobra64]

Big waste of foam? Read the article "...and eventually made contact with runway and came to a rest on its nose." The front gear did not extend.

[RonHolzwarth]

re: "there were a few white knuckles on board but certainly no hollywood scenes of panic"

Yup. Cause the big planes are flown by PROFESSIONALS ONLY!

It's not at all like getting on the highway and hoping the next teenager or drunk won't kill you cause he doesn't know what he's doing.

[Mears]

Every time something like this happens one of my kids or grandchildren is in the air.

Is it me or does everyone feel this way!

I'm flying Saturday myself so I'm just going to turn the news off for 24 hours---LOL.

[RonHolzwarth]

re: "Fire-retardant foam was sprayed around the plane after landing as a precautionary measure,,, Sounds like a big waste of foam. Were they expecting the nose wheel to catch on fire? ,,, Big waste of foam?!? The front of the plane contacted the runway! Sparks, maybe?

QUIT YER BITCHIN'!!!

THEY AIN'T TAKIN' NO CHANCES WITH THE PASSENGER'S LIVES!!!

IF YA DON'T LIKE THEIR ATTITUDE, DRIVE YER CAR!!!

[cmsgop]

Thanks,

[You Dirty Rats]

Why are you replying to me about this? I wasn't the ignoramus who complained about the wasted foam!

It would be hard to drive my car to Europe when I travel there anyway.

[RonHolzwarth]

Sorry, jumbled a couple posts together there! And, maybe hit the wrong button too! Color me stupid, got that color of crayon ready for me?

What I am trying to emphasize to those who are afraid to fly is that it is MUCH safer to fly in a big jet than to drive a car to the airport.

And most of the "scare stories" like this do not really put the passengers lives in danger.

[Eagles2003]

Similar, but in reverse. The nose gear apparently wouldn't retract after takeoff. First sign was a slight bump, sorta like turbulence but definitely the pilot trying to "shake it". Good news was the gear locked in the down position and the only problem was we had too much fuel when we landed and it took an hour to inspect all the gear after the overweight landing.

Pretty sure it was an MD-80.