Emergency Belly Landing at Lanseria a Success

The problems began shortly after the Metroliner left the runway at around 11am, when the African Skies Aviation crew experienced problems with the Metroliner undercarriage: the landing gear would neither retract nor extend. After notifying the air traffic control of the problem, an aircraft maintenance engineer was rushed to the tower to instruct the pilot on possible methods to alternately deploy the landing gear. Having exhausted their options to free the jammed mechanics, the decision was made by the crew and air traffic control to attempt a belly landing (an emergency landing without the landing gear deployed).

The pilot then circled Lanseria International Airport for around an hour to burn off excess fuel, before embarking on a slow, controlled descent to the runway. The pilot touched the plane to tarmac amidst a shower of sparks, a dramatic climax to a faultless emergency landing.

The passengers, mostly from Al Jazeera's Arabic Sport crew, and African Skies Aviation crew emerged quite shaken, but unscathed.

Well done to all involved.

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