1-minute News | Landing gear not deployed: How does Chinese flight safely land without nose gear?

Recently, a plane crash in South Korea has attracted worldwide attention, resulting in the unfortunate loss of 179 lives.

In the aftermath, some netizens pointed out that videos showed the aircraft did not deploy its landing gear upon landing, leading to a "hard landing," which contributed to the subsequent impact and explosion.

Are there any flights that faced landing gear issues but still managed to escape disaster? China Eastern Airlines Flight MU586 is one such example.

On Sept. 10, 1998, at 7:38 PM, China Eastern Airlines Flight MU586 took off from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, carrying 137 passengers and crew, with a destination of Beijing Capital International Airport.

After takeoff, the captain noticed that the front landing gear indicator light remained illuminated, indicating that the landing gear could not be retracted. After several attempts and checks, the crew decided to return to the airport and prepare for an emergency landing.

At 10:10 PM, after burning off fuel, the aircraft made its emergency landing at 11:07 PM. The captain first allowed the rear landing gear to touch down, followed by the nose of the aircraft skimming along the runway, producing sparks. Ultimately, the aircraft came to a safe stop.

This highlights how crucial the proper functioning of landing gear is to aircraft safety. Then, what caused the South Korean aircraft to fail to lower its landing gear? Stay tuned for the investigation results.

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