Yesterday, a LATAM Colombia flight was forced to land with a front-wheel pointing in the wrong direction. Footage shows sparks flying from the landing gear as the pilots manage to safely land the plane with no injuries.
Emergency landing, none injured.
A routine one-hour flight from Medellin to Cartagena was disrupted yesterday when the crew discovered a problem with the landing gear at 13000ft. The Airbus A320-200 was forced to return to Jose Maria Cordova International Airport and land the plane with the nose gear at a 90-degree angle. Footage of the landing shows sparks and flames shooting from the front wheel as it scrapes violently along the tarmac of the runway. Pilots kept the nose off the tarmac for as long as possible, eventually bringing the plane to a complete stop, with none of the 147 passengers aboard suffering injuries.
Technical faults
Problems for LATAM flight LA4292 started before it had left the ground. Passengers reported that technicians were inspecting the airport before takeoff and were initially told that the flight was cancelled. However, Three and a half hours later, the passengers were able to board the plane. The aircraft took off but was interrupted mid-climb when the crew discovered the technical fault with the nose gear. The plane circled near the airport for 45 minutes to burn off fuel before coming to land.
The aircraft has been temporarily relieved of its duty whilst it undergoes repairs. Data from Flightradar24.com shows that all of its remaining flights were cancelled. The Airbus A320-200, which has registration CC-BAS, is 10.43 years old, having served LATAM for the entirety of its lifetime. Images from Colombian media show the front wheel wholly stripped of its front tire and the wheel hub sheared in half from the impact.
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