Skilful piloting of a Myanmar National Airlines Embraer ERJ-190 saw passengers escape injury after the aircraft landed without the nose gear.
Flight UB-103 from Yangon to Mandalay with 82 passengers and 7 crew was on approach to Mandalay's runway 17 at about 9:00 am local time when the crew discovered they could not extend the nose gear landing gear.
The Aviation Herald reported the crew worked the related checklists and attempted an alternate gear extension, which also could not extend the nose gear.
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“A low approach confirmed the nose gear was still not extended,’’ the Aviation Herald reported.
“ The crew prepared for a nose gear up landing and landed on Mandalay's runway 17, keeping the nose up as long as practicable, bringing the aircraft to a halt on the runway on both main gear struts and the nose of the aircraft.
“Smoke entered the cabin after the nose touched down. The aircraft was evacuated via slides. There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained substantial damage.”
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iECUzDrLHqE[/embed]
The aircraft overflew the runway twice to have tower check the landing gear and entered a holding pattern to burn off fuel.
A video of the plane landing shows the pilot bring the nose of the plane down after touchdown and sparks flying before it slowly comes to a halt.
Myanmar Civil Aviation Department deputy director general Ye Htut Aung told AFP the pilots tried to lower the landing gear manually after the plane’s systems failed to do so.
"They tried hard twice by flying around twice and asked to check whether the nose wheel dropped or not," Ye Htut Aung said fault".
"So they had to land with the back wheels... The pilot could land it skillfully."
"There were no casualties."
The incident came less than a week after a Biman Bangladesh Airlines skidded off the runway while landing at Yangon airport.
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