A Delta flight with nearly 100 passengers onboard made an emergency landing at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina on Wednesday, with the underside hitting the runway, according to reports. The Boeing 717 landed nose-first on the runway to the horror of the passengers onboard and the airport staff.
A terrifying video has emerged that shows the Boeing 717, with 96 passengers, two pilots, and three flight attendants on board, making a turbulent landing in Atlanta after the front landing gear failed to deploy. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. However, an investigation into the incident has been launched, according to initial reports.
Terrifying Few Minutes
The Delta flight 1092 left from Atlanta at 7.25 am and was expected to arrive at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Wednesday morning.
Disturbing images reveal the aircraft tilted forward onto its nose, with inflatable evacuation slides deployed, as emergency services rushed to help passengers and crew.
A video of the terrifying moment taken by a passenger aboard the plane depicts tense silence among passengers, who gripped the seats in front of them and rested their heads against them, preparing for the impact.
"That was not bad at all," the man said after the plane hit the runway and scraped and skidded its way to a halt.
Following the distressing incident, another passenger, Gary Gibbs, expressed his relief and gratitude through a tweet.
"So Thankful for God's protection today," he wrote. "Kudos to the skilled pilots and crew for their quick response and ensuring the safety of 96 passengers on board."
The relieved holidaymakers were recorded exiting the aircraft, capturing images of the nose tilting downward in disbelief. Remarkably, none of the 96 passengers or five Delta employees suffered any injuries during the incident.
The plane successfully landed with its nose gear in the 'up' position and safely came to a stop on the runway.
Narrow Escape
Delta officials said nose gear malfunctions are rare. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the malfunction.
Airline officials confirmed that the staff were aware of the issue before landing and initiated a climb before circling a few times before finally managing to land.
"Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people," the airline 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 destination."
The pilot communicated to the control tower at Charlotte Douglas that there were 104 individuals on board the plane.
Passengers were instructed to assume the brace position while the staff reiterated safety instructions. However, passengers mentioned to WSOC-TV that the landing itself was relatively smooth.
"The crew told us there was an issue with the landing gear and instructed us to go over safety information," one passenger said.
"We came in low once and then climbed again. The 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!"
Following the plane's landing, airport officials took the necessary steps to close down the runway. They then focused on removing the disabled aircraft from the runway after safely transporting the shaken passengers to a terminal.
