CHARLOTTE — A plane landed at Charlotte Douglas International Airport Wednesday morning without its landing gear extended, Delta Air Lines told Channel 9.
Delta flight 1092, a Boeing 717 aircraft, left Atlanta at 7:25 a.m. on its way to Charlotte.
— Chris Skotarczak (@Skobi1kanobi) June 28, 2023
According to Delta, two pilots, three flight attendants and 96 passengers were on board.
The plane landed with its nose gear in the “up” position, the airline said, and the aircraft came to a safe stop on the runway.
The customers and crew deplaned using a slide and were being taken to the terminal on a bus.
(Photos: Plane lands at Charlotte airport without nose gear extended)
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Airline officials are working with other officials at the Charlotte airport to move the plane from the runway.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people,” Delta said in a statement. “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. Our next focus is to take care of our customers on this flight, including retrieving their bags and seeing them to their final destinations safely. We apologize to our customers for what they experienced.”
The runway the plane landed on was closed Wednesday until about 7 p.m. The aircraft was removed and it was inspected before the runway reopened.
“The crew told us there was an issue with the landing gear and instructed us to go over safety information,” a passenger on the flight told Channel 9. “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. 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!”
Charlotte Douglas officials asked passengers to check with their airline on their flight status before arriving at the airport.
Due to a runway closure, passengers are advised to check with their airline on the status of their flight before coming to the Airport.
— CLT Airport (@CLTAirport) June 28, 2023
‘Couldn’t have gone more smoothly’
The passengers went to Gate A1 after arriving at the airport. Channel 9′s Almiya White spoke to several of them, many of whom were still gathered at the gate by noon.
Emotions were high and many of the travelers shared the same sentiments. They said they were thankful the pilot remained calm in the process.
Several passengers told White the landing felt smoother than a normal landing.
“It couldn’t have gone more smoothly, from the landing, to the quick response from the emergency responders, to the gate agents,” said Rob Coker. “Everything was just incredibly smooth, very impressed.”
A viewer sent Channel 9 video from inside the plane as it was landing. The video shows the plane’s shadow, where it was apparent the aircraft’s nose gear was not out.
The passengers were all bracing for impact and clapped once they landed safely.
(WATCH: Video shows plane landing without nose gear extended)
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