A Delta Air Lines Boeing 717 landed safely at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Wednesday morning with its nose gear up. The plane, which was carrying 96 passengers and two crew members, was en route from Atlanta to Charlotte when the crew received a "nose gear unsafe" indication. The pilots circled the airport for several minutes before landing on Runway 36 Left.
The plane came to a stop safely, but the nose gear remained in the up position. The runway was closed for several hours while crews worked to remove the plane from the runway. There were no injuries reported. Delta Air Lines said in a statement that the cause of the nose gear failure is under investigation. The airline said that the pilots "followed all of the appropriate procedures" and that the landing was "a textbook example of how to safely land an aircraft with a nose gear issue."
The passengers, on board the flight, were evacuated from the plane and taken to the terminal by bus. They were all given a full refund for their tickets and were offered travel vouchers. This is the second time in recent months that a Delta plane has landed with its nose gear up. In February, a Delta Boeing 757 landed safely at Detroit Metropolitan Airport with its nose gear up.
While these incidents are rare, they do happen from time to time. In most cases, the pilots are able to land the plane safely without any injuries. However, it is always a tense situation for both the passengers and the crew. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating both of these incidents. The FAA said that it is "committed to ensuring the safety of all flights" and that it will take "appropriate action" if any violations are found. In the meantime, Delta Air Lines said that it is "confident" in the safety of its fleet and that it is "committed to providing our customers with the highest level of service."