Myanmar passenger jet lands safely after landing gear fails

Published On: May 12, 2019 01:34 PM NPT By: Associated Press

Rescue team gather near a plane of Myanmar National Airline (MNA) after an accident at Mandalay International airport Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Mandalay, Myanmar. All passengers and crew are reported safe and uninjured after a Myanmar National Airlines plane made a scheduled but emergency landing at Mandalay International Airport on only its rear landing wheels after the front landing gear failed to deploy. (Aung Thura via AP)

YANGON, May 12: A Myanmar National Airlines plane has made an emergency landing at Mandalay International Airport using only its rear wheels after the front landing gear failed to deploy.

Kyaw San, a spokesman for the airport, confirmed that 82 passengers and crew aboard Flight UB103 from Yangon are safe after the plane, an Embraer 190, touched down Sunday morning on its rear sets of wheels before the plane’s nose tilted down to scrape the runway, sending off a shower of sparks.

He says the pilot informed the airport before landing that he was unable to pull down the nose wheels.

Kyaw San says larger Boeing and Airbus aircraft would temporarily not be able to use the airport.