A Delta Airlines flight from Anchorage, Alaska (DL-829) to Seattle, Washington, experienced a dramatic turn of events on Wednesday. The aircraft, a Bombardier C-Series CS-300 (registration N301DU), was on its final approach to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport when the crew initiated a missed approach.
According to reports from air traffic control, the crew informed air traffic controllers (ATC) of a maintenance issue requiring troubleshooting. After climbing to 4,000 feet and consulting their checklists, the situation became more serious. The crew declared a brake failure on the right side of the aircraft and requested a landing on runway 16L instead of the originally planned 16R. The pilots skillfully maneuvered the CS-300 and landed safely on runway 16L approximately 25 minutes after the missed approach. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.
Passenger accounts paint a picture of a tense situation. One passenger reported the flight had already been delayed by a significant amount of time, roughly 80 minutes, due to what appeared to be multiple mechanical issues. The right brake failure on approach followed by the go-around added another layer of concern for passengers onboard.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Delta Airlines CS-300 remains grounded in Seattle, over 16 hours after the eventful landing. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will likely investigate the incident to determine the cause of the brake failure and any underlying maintenance issues that may have contributed to the delays.