Cargo plane makes emergency belly landing at Istanbul Airport

Early Wednesday morning, a FedEx Airlines Boeing 763 made a belly landing at Istanbul Airport, averting a potential disaster. Airport officials have confirmed that the incident did not result in any injuries or disrupt airport operations.

The plane, which took off from Paris for Istanbul, encountered difficulties around 8:30 a.m. local time when it failed to deploy its front landing gear.

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure reported that the pilot identified a hydraulic failure at 7:55 a.m. local time. "The pilot notified Istanbul Airport ATC that the front landing gear could not deploy," stated the ministry. The aircraft then made a controlled belly landing on runway 16R at 8:17 a.m., where it remained until it was safely removed.

Authorities acted swiftly in response to the emergency. Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (ARFF) teams were immediately dispatched to the scene to assist with the landing and secure the area.

Despite the emergency, the airport swiftly reopened the runway and maintained normal flight operations. "Our experts have begun a thorough investigation of the incident," the ministry added. Meanwhile, efforts to remove the aircraft from the runway continued throughout the morning.

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu informed the public about the airport's operational status following the incident. "Currently, we have three parallel runways at the location. Only one was temporarily closed, leaving two operational for regular traffic. The two pilots are in good health, and the closed runway will reopen after the plane is removed," he commented.

IGA Airport Operation Inc. also released a statement praising the seamless execution of the emergency landing and its immediate aftermath. "Thanks to the alertness of the Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting teams, the FedEx Boeing 767's belly landing was managed without any casualties, and we were able to maintain a smooth operation on the other runways," the statement read.

Further emphasizing the quick response, Minister Uraloglu said in a statement to TGRT News: "After the pilot reported that the front landing gear could not be deployed, our tower immediately contacted him to manage two missed approaches before confirming that a landing was inevitable. Our airport staff prepared all emergency procedures swiftly to ensure a safe landing."

🔴 #LATEST — A FedEx Boeing 767 cargo plane from Paris lands on its airframe at Istanbul Airport after its front landing gear fails to open; no injuries reported as flights continue at the airport pic.twitter.com/2ZiZlOZq1S

— Türkiye Today (@turkiyetodaycom) May 8, 2024

Source: Newsroom