United Plane Sheds Parts, Becomes 'Disabled' After 'Hard Landing'
A United Airlines aircraft “became disabled” after a landing so rough that it shook pieces loose from the plane, reported Fox 35 Orlando.
The incident occurred on Sunday, Jan. 18, aboard United Flight 2323, which departed Chicago O'Hare International Airport just before 9 a.m. local time. When the Airbus A321neo landed several hours later at Orlando International Airport, just after 12:30 p.m. local time, it made an “extremely rough landing. Footage of the incident shows the plane apparently losing one of its nose wheels as it crashes to the ground.
In a statement shared with Fox 35, United Airlines chalked the frightening incident up to a "mechanical issue” which occurred “upon landing." There were no injuries reported amongst the 200 passengers and six crew members aboard the aircraft.
FAA Is Investigating the Incident
In its own statement, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that "the aircraft became disabled after making a hard landing." The landing resulted in a “brief ground stop” at Orlando International, though that was lifted later in the day on Sunday. The FAA is currently investigating the incident. Per a statement issued by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, Orlando International “experienced delays” into Monday afternoon stemming from the incident.
The National Weather Service (NWS) reported what could be a significant factor in the incident. On Sunday afternoon, there were wind gusts of up to 56 MPH at Orlando International. A wind advisory was subsequently issued for much of central Florida, though it was canceled later on Sunday. It’s unclear at this time whether or not weather was a contributed to the incident.
Social Media Users Cast Doubt on United's Explanation
Some on social media casted doubt on United’s statement, half-seriously accusing the pilot of causing the “mechanical issue.” “From the video, not a particularly heavy landing, that shouldn't have resulted in a nose wheel detachment,” read one comment. “What caused the mechanical issue was the pilot slamming the front of the airplane down like that,” claimed another. “United is unable to retain experienced pilots and it shows.” “Clearly pilot error, the wheels can only take so much pressure when you fall from the sky like that onto the pavement,” another alleged.
The final determination of the cause of the incident remains subject to FAA investigation.