Landing gear problem sends plane back to Gatwick for 'non-standard landing'
A Virgin Atlantic passenger plane has landed safely at Gatwick airport after developing problems with its landing gear, according to sources.
Flight VS43, which was en route to Las Vegas, turned back to the West Sussex airport after taking off this morning. Before the successful landing, Virgin announced that the plane would be carrying out a “non-standard landing procedure” at Gatwick airport.
East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service were on standby at Gatwick following the alert. However, at about 4pm, television pictures showed the plane at a halt safely on the runway.
There was apparently no need for an immediate response by emergency crews, although within a few minutes the flashing lights of emergency vehicles could be seen close to the plane.
Pictures posted earlier on Twitter of the aircraft circling Gatwick showed damage to the landing gear of the aircraft.
Eyewitnesses reported that the jet was flying at a relatively low altitude and that the pilot appeared to be trying to shake the landing gear down.
The aircraft circled repeatedly between Gatwick and the South Coast apparently to burn off fuel.
According to eyewitnesses, one of the five landing gears on the Boeing 747 jumbo jet had failed to deploy.
Virgin said: "Virgin Atlantic can confirm that the plane has landed safely at Gatwick. Our priority now is to look after our passengers."
Describing the mood on the plane as it was circling, passenger Dan Crane, 24, from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, said it was "2anxious, a lot were worried, some crying. The mood was quiet and (we were) just waiting for the captain's next announcement."
Mr Crane, who is with family and friends, said the crew kept everyone informed, adding: “They said it was an emergency landing and we had to brace on impact.”
Passenger Mike Kaufman, speaking from his seat on the plane back at Gatwick, said: “This was one of the greatest emergency landings in history. It was very smooth.”
He praised the pilots and the cabin crew, saying the landing had been “textbook”.
Interviewed for Sky News, he went on: “We didn’t realise there would be such a fuss. It was such a calm, experience. About half an hour out they said we would have to go back to Gatwick. They said it was a hydraulic problem.
“The fact everything went so well shows just how professional the flight crew were. The crew were calm. We had a safety briefing two hours before we landed and when we were told we would have to go into the brace position for landings a sigh went around the plane.”
Mr Kaufman continued: “People got used to the idea that we were going to have to land back at Gatwick. The crew were very calm and that made the passengers calm.”
