PA, Wilkes Barre--Aircraft with Landing Problem Lands Safely

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Grassroots Information Coordination Center (GICC) : One Thread

[FAIR USE FOR EDUCATION AND RESEARCH PURPOSE ONLY]

Aircraft with landing gear problem lands safely

Aircraft sits on runway after landing safely

By Sue Henry Citizens' Voice Staff Writer

A Delta jet touched down without incident Thursday afternoon, but not before the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport put its emergency plan into effect.

According to Joe Refice, public safety supervisor of the airport, the Canadair Regional Jet had 35 people on board, including a pilot, co-pilot and flight attendant. The jet seats 50 people and was operated by Comair, a regional airline.

The plane left Cincinnati, Ohio at 11:05 a.m. and was scheduled to land at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton airport at 12:35 p.m.

"We were notified by the tower that they were having problems putting down the landing gear," Refice commented. "We immediately put our emergency plan into effect."

The plan included preparing eight airport employees, who are also firefighters, to handle an emergency situation. Refice said a decision was made to step up to a higher level of alertness. The Luzerne County Communications Center was notified of the plane's problem.

Standing by on Thursday were emergency personnel from Avoca and Pittston Township, plus Medic 303 and two rescue trucks.

"Fortunately, nothing happened. The plane landed without incident," Refice reported.

The plane landed at 12:55 p.m. Passengers who exited the aircraft didn't seem overtly concerned about the situation.

"Quite honestly, I wasn't as scared as I thought I would be," stated Karen Hartt of Susquehanna, who was returning from a vacation in Melbourne, Fla. with her daughter.

"Actually, I was kind of sleepy," commented Victoria Hartt, Karen's daughter, a second grade student in the Blue Ridge School District. She was ready to share the story with her classmates upon returning to school. "My friends will be really jealous," she said. Her mother clarified they probably wouldn't be too envious about the trouble on the plane.

"We started circling several times," recalled Harrt's business partner, Donna Bryant of Harveys Lake. "The flight crew was very calm and professional. No one really panicked."

She added, "It hit home when you were coming in and saw all the fire trucks and ambulances."

Refice said the situation will be reported to the Federal Aviation Administration, but there will be no investigation because it was a "nonincident."

He added the plane would be inspected by the airline's mechanics to see why the landing gear malfunctioned and that the craft would be sent to a maintenance facility.

Copyright )2000, The Citizens' Voice, Inc

http://citizensvoice.com/headlines/hl4.html

-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), March 17, 2000


Moderation questions? read the FAQ