Warsaw airport was expected to re-open today after a LOT Boeing 767 was forced to make an emergency landing after its landing gear failed to open.
All 230 passengers and crew on board the aircraft, which had flown from Newark in the US, escaped injury as the aircraft belly flopped onto the runway yesterday.
A technical problem with the landing gear was discovered ahead of the scheduled landing forcing the aircraft to circle above the airport for about an hour to dump fuel before landing without its wheels.
Sparks flew from an engine on landing and small fires were seen under the 767 but these were immediately doused by firefighters. LOT president Maciej Pirot said the crew carried out a “perfect emergency landing,” which prevented anyone from being injured.
“It is the first time a LOT plane had to land without the landing gear out,” he said, adding that such landings are not always so straightforward. “There was no panic among the passengers. The cabin crew prepared them for the emergency landing well,” Pirot added.