Delta CRJ 900 diverts to JFK with right main gear failure

[Two's in]

Delta flight 4951, a CRJ 900 scheduled from ATL to HPN (White Plains, about 30 miles NE of New York) diverted to JFK last night 25 September at about 8pm EDT after the right gear failed to lower. 64 Pax and crew, no reports of any injuries.

Pilot keeps his cool, gets all 64 passengers and crew aboard Delta Flight 4951 down safely (http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/09/26/2010-09-26_64_souls_and_3000_gallons_of_fuel_head_for_runway_31.html )

[PaperTiger]

With slightly less hyperbole :rolleyes: : Accident: Atlantic Southeast CRJ9 at Westchester on Sep 25th 2010, could not extend right hand main gear (http://avherald.com/h?article=4316a077&opt=0)

[ManaAdaSystem]

Job well done to the crew!

I'm a pilot, but I'm not a hero, so I think this a fairly high stress situation. Fire is a real possibility.

However, another Bombardier gear failure? Not good news. Luckily it didn't happen on a SAS CRJ.
They need to find the cause real fast.

[Bruce Wayne]

The pilot remained as calm as if he were Chesley Sullenberger's twin as the tower offered him a choice of runways.

yeah, because its an inherent nataure of pilots to go hysterical ! :ugh::ugh::ugh:

[Aviophage]

I don't believe how this news article can compare this Delta pilot with hero and ace pilot Sully....

I heard the problem was caused by maintenance error on behalf of Delta. I'll try and find the source now...

[Peter Fanelli]

I heard the problem was caused by maintenance error on behalf of Delta. I'll try and find the source now...


I seriously doubt that Delta Airlines has anything to do with the maintenance of the aircraft involved.

Are you trying to get sued?

[poorjohn]

Then change Delta to Atlantic Southeast. I have no idea who does their maintenance so risk painting them with the wrong brush, but imo there seems to be too much "shareholder value" being created by airlines saving money on maintenance.

Obviously the gear problem could have been due to damage in operation, or a material defect, or any number of other problems. One would hope the poster who said it was maintenance knew for a fact that the aircraft was fresh from maintenance that included the gear. It still could have been a defective part that the maintenance facility couldn't have detected, but history suggests that's the far less likely situation.

Again speaking generically, contract regional carriers are at the mercy of their biggest customer - the mainline carrier who lends them their paint job and flight numbers - and must be under enormous pressure to be frugal. Their flight crews work for pauper's wages an a dream of getting a job with a real airline, and it wouldn't take a huge leap to guess that the same budgetary pressures apply to maintenance. Which is always done to FAA standards, of course.

Sorry for the rant. Not. It's really important and doesn't seem to be trending the right direction.

[Finn47]

Similar situation, writeoff in 2002 (and there are more)

ASN Aircraft accident de Havilland Canada DHC-7-102 RP-C2788 Manila-Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) (http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20020904-0)

[pattern_is_full]

Be careful, folks. If you persuade your employers that it is no big deal landing a plane with only 2 LG, they're gonna start asking Boeing and Airbus "How come we have to pay for a third gear?" :E

More seriously - sure, the crew were pros, worked the problem, kept it on the longer slab of concrete to which they sensibly diverted, good job. There have been recent landings with all gear intact yet worse outcomes.

But I hope no one here disagrees that a stuck gear eats a big chunk out of the margin of safety. Or - in the PPRUNE metaphor - represents a big hole in the cheese just waiting for something else to line up with it.

[Double Back]

Two things, media hysteria blowing this out of proportions, and we pilots playing it down as almost a non event.
Am retired but I am happy I never got into a comparable situation, no matter how I am convinced I would end up OK.

Hats off for them guys who managed to stay smack on the centreline!

[ecureilx]

It may be easier to 'slide' on a CRJ that a contraption that has engines hanging below the wing .. in any case, Job Well done ..

Don't pilots train for such emergencies ? And isn't it days like these when they save the bacon that they get paid for the rest of their boring days hauling ass and trash ??? :D

[CargoOne]

I'm struggling to think of the last time a stuck wheel resulted in anything more than a few sparks and a maintenance bill

Photos: De Havilland Canada DHC-8-402Q Dash 8 Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net/photo/Scandinavian-Commuter--/De-Havilland-Canada/1693992/M/) - write-off and one or two people onboard were injured by prop debris.

Low-wing jets are doing this stuff better than hi-wing turboprops...

[tsgas]

Calling it Delta is reserved for uninformed pax and goomers in the media who don't have a clue about aviation.
Code sharing is nothing new afterall.

[Aviophage]

Media outlets are calling the pilot a hero. Is anybody else laughing?

[Admiral346]

I am not.

He did his job, alright. The job he gets paid for.

But I will not laugh at a fellow airman doing a great job and then being called a hero by the rainbowpress.

Nic

[TheGorrilla]

Good job. Could have ended far worse.

[korrol]

As a mere passenger I'd like to know whether it's standard practice for Delta flight-attendants to yell continually at passengers "Stay Down! Heads Down!" She must have repeated this about 20 times or more - adding to the overall stress of the situation. After all - the captain had already told the passengers to brace.

[glad rag]

Yep that HAS to be am automated message surely.

[korrol]

I think if you listen to the video sound track (link was a couple of posts back) it's clear that this is not an automated announcement - indeed the pitch and intensity appears to rise as the touchdown proceeds.

Is there any evidence that the "brace position" actually saves injuries anyway? Many passengers might think it's a better bet to fully-aware of what's going on around them and adapt their strategies accordingly rather than be cowed into an ostrich-like heads-down stance.

But I was just interested to know whether this constant repetition was something taught at Delta's flight attendants' training.

[Deltabravowhiskey]

In an impact, yes the near fetal postion greatly reduces the stress on the body since there are no shoulder harnesses in the pax seats to help decelerate the upper torso. In terms of vertical deceleration this reduces the chances of spinal injury via compression.

It's very effective keeping the FA announcing the position to remain in. Once they stop the repetition, people WILL look around either exposing themselves to danger OR the event is over and it's time to get out ASAP.

[lomapaseo]

It's very effective keeping the FA announcing the position to remain in. Once they stop the repetition, people WILL look around either exposing themselves to danger OR the event is over and it's time to get out ASAP.

But it sure does make it difficult to take videos out the window.

I suspect some of the screamed repetition of brace brace over and over also serves to calm the nerves of the FA's giving them something to do other then contemplate their own mortality.

[Deltabravowhiskey]

CRJ Windows are located at waist level, perfect for the emergency brace position all while enjoying a great view.

[PaperTiger]

But I was just interested to know whether this constant repetition was something taught at Delta's flight attendants' training.I don't know how many times this needs to be repeated: the only "Delta" part of this is the paint on the airplane. The crew work for and are (presumably) trained by Atlantic Southeast (ASA).

[valvanuz]

As a passenger, if my ticket says Delta, the ticket counter says Delta and the plane paint says Delta, it is a DELTA flight.

I am upset enough already to discover at the last minute I am flying on a code share with another airline that I have NOT chosen.

Finally, I dont give a damn to know who is the crew real employer, who is really servicing the plane or who is really cooking the food. I sure know who I am going to blame or congratulate (I do that too) for the quality of my flight; it is the company that sold me the ticket.

[PaperTiger]

valvanuz I wouldn't disagree with you as a passenger, although the seller (DAL) does make it reasonably clear that the flight is operated by another company. If most choose to ignore that information, so be it.

But there's no excuse on this forum for any confusion: ASA is not DAL.

[protectthehornet]

You folks who are confused about DELTA vs ASA...Listen up. If you really want to know, which is which as it pertains to your travels. ASK!!!!

ASK when you book the trip, and if you do it online...somewhere there is a guide to flight numbers and some numbers are codeshare with other regional airlines ( less preferable in my mind as a pilot of some 35 years) and MAINLINE DELTA.

why has this all happened...?????? MONEY...cuz YOU the passenger want cheap flights.

Iompasseo...very tacky about the FA's who are truly the unsung heroes. the pilots can hear the yelling of BRACE and they know the cabin is as well taken care of as time has allowed.

This whole landing is only slightly more than a non event. the gear didn't come down upon approach to white plains...the plane diverted to JFK...so there was time to think about what was happening and have CFR ready at JFK.

This wasn't a sully...I'd bet that this plane will fly again. this type of plane has the engines on the tail, not under the wing, and the damage seems to be slight.

this is not to undervalue the skills of the pilot, copilot and the FA's. Questions arise about the mx or manufacturing of course.

I recall when a 737-400 landed in the same manner and the only injury was the copilot jumping out the side window.

does anyone know if the plane in question evacuated upon landing, or was it a more leisurely exit?

[rfp172]

Today there was a similar incidentat KMKE; Plane with landing gear problem lands at Mitchell - JSOnline (http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/103966134.html) with a CRJ200 - 2 legged landing with the left mains still up. Guess that no media hype as no one had a camera?

Plane with landing gear problem lands at Mitchell

By Jesse Garza ([email protected]) of the Journal Sentinel
Sept. 28, 2010 6:04 p.m. |(0) Comments (http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/103966134.html?page=1)
A SkyWest passenger plane made an emergency landing at Mitchell International Airport with only two of its three sets of landing gear activated, an airport spokeswoman said.
The aircraft landed safely shortly after 5 p.m. after notifying the airport of a landing gear problem, airport spokeswoman Pat Rowe said.
There were no reports of injuries aboard the plane, which was en route to Milwaukee from Omaha, Rowe said.
Passengers aboard the plane disembarked late Tuesday afternoon and the aircraft was to undergo a complete inspection, Rowe said.
The plane's flight number was AirTran 3074; AirTran and SkyWest have a marketing agreement, Rowe said.
The aircraft, a CRJ200 with 36 passengers and three crewmembers on board, landed with its left landing gear up, according to a statement from SkyWest that said the carrier will conduct an investigation of the incident.
SkyWest spokeswoman Brooke Keith said the aircraft is owned by SkyWest and identified the flight as SkyWest flight 3074.
The incident will also be investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, Rowe said.

[weasil]

This two airlines are both subsidiaries of Skywest Inc (The parent company of ASA and Skywest, and soon ExpressJet).
SkyWest, Inc. (http://www.skywest.com/skywinc/)

SkyWest Plane Lands With Partial Landing Gear - Milwaukee News Story - WISN Milwaukee (http://www.wisn.com/news/25199609/detail.html)

It is also the third such incident for that company this year.

Small jet makes emergency landing at Ontario - cbs13.com (http://cbs13.com/local/ontario.southwest.emergency.2.1711072.html)

[MidgetBoy]

"It was better than the Hudson," the pilot said.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Exactly like what someone else said, this landing is nothing more than some sparks and a higher maintenance bill... the Hudson landing was in the water, what an idiot for comparing himself to the Hudson landing..

[MurphyWasRight]

"It was better than the Hudson," the pilot said.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Exactly like what someone else said, this landing is nothing more than some sparks and a higher maintenance bill... the Hudson landing was in the water, what an idiot for comparing himself to the Hudson landing..

Lacking full context I would still suspect that the pilot was not bragging but rather wryly commenting that he would much rather do a partial gear up landing than ditch in th Hudson any day...

[stepwilk]

Murphy's obviously exactly right. Go back to your flightsim game, Midget. The form of your post alone gives up an excellent clue to your age. I'm guessing 14.

[BenThere]

As a passenger, if my ticket says Delta, the ticket counter says Delta and the plane paint says Delta, it is a DELTA flight.

That's a true perception. Delta is responsible for putting its name on the product it sells. But there is a difference.

A Delta mainline airplane will have an average of about 45 years of experience in the cockpit. So will a Delta codeshare with another 'legacy' carrier. However, a Delta-branded flight utilizing regional, commuter, and feeder carriers operated by non-legacy carriers might have an average of 10-15 years experience in the cockpit, or often much less.

I agree that one of the things that sets a premium on legacy carrier tickets is the quality of service, which to me, includes the expectation of a highly experienced flight crew at the front end. The only way the customer can tell, though, is by knowing the airplanes the legacy carrier operates, and buying tickets that specify that equipment. Even then, subsitutes can occur.

I don't disparrage the crews or carriers of the regionals; we all have to build our time, and all pyramids narrow at the top. But I would like to see more emphasis at the point of purchase on who exactly will be operating the aircraft providing the service for sale. There is a difference.

[Jetgate]

Goodrich apparently makes the CRJ900 gear, does anyone know who makes the CRJ200's ?

[krujje]

Goodrich apparently makes the CRJ900 gear, does anyone know who makes the CRJ200's ?

Messier-Dowty