Much like other automotive devices and machinery, along with aircrafts alike are all susceptible to failure. Airplanes suffer for a higher risk of accidents as they descend from thousands of feet high at an alarming rate. Much more often than the average person is aware of, failing landing gear is a common problem with aircrafts throughout the industry.
When the landing gear fails, the aircraft is still expected to land as it would normally but performs what is known as gear up or also known as belly landing. Although aircrafts suffer the ongoing risk of possible fires and extensive damage to the aircraft, if executed correctly the landing should be tolerable per case studies, according to telegraph.co.uk.
Many unexpected incidents have been able to land safely as well as other accidental events that have caused aircrafts to turn back a while after taking flight. Much like after two pilots that carried an approximate 99 passengers on board forgot to retract their landing gear shortly after ascending for takeoff. One very popular case that has found its way into US Pilot, Patrick Smith, recently released book Cockpit Confidential where he studies the failure of landing gear.
The book analyses a televised event that airline, JetBlue had to endure and perform an emergency landing in Los Angeles. This horrific event took place in the year 2005, when an aircraft leaving Burbank, California had to perform a belly landing but experienced its tires twisted sideways. As the pilots noticed its problem they quickly became aware that the aircraft would be to heavy for landing on LAXs longer run ways. The aircraft had to endure three hours of flying before it could reach the appropriate weight for landing. The book reads
“On board, 146 souls readied for what, according to the commentators, could very well be a devastating crash. Those of us who knew better... saw a jetliner preparing for what would be a telegenic but perfectly manageable landing. And that's what we got.”
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