LOT Flight 16
Image credit: Gov.Pl
On 1 November 2011 a LOT Polish Airlines Flight 16, a Boeing 767-35DER (registered SP-LPC) passenger jet departed Newark with 220 passengers and 11 crew on board for a scheduled service from Newark, United States, to Warsaw, Poland.
Thirty minutes after departing Newark, the crew of Flight 16 received a warning that the center hydraulic system had malfunctioned. The crew decided to continue the flight to Warsaw to burn the heavy fuel load they were carrying for their transatlantic flight.
On approach into Warsaw, the crew of Flight 16 were unable to extend their landing gear and informed Warsaw air traffic control that they had suffered from a hydraulic system failure. Flight 16 continued to circle the airport to consume whatever excess fuel remained and allow time for ground emergency services to cover the runway with a fire suppression foam.
Two Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jets had now joined the Boeing 767 to visually confirm that the gear had failed to extend. The flight crew's further attempts to lower the landing gear by alternative means also failed.
At this time, all other flights due into Warsaw Chopin Airport had been diverted or returned to their point of departure as they closed the airport and surrounding roads in preparation for the emergency landing.
At 14:40 CET, the flight crew of Flight 16 successfully performed a belly landing as they touched down gear-up on Runway 33. As the aircraft slid to a stop, the cabin crew evacuated the entire aircraft within 90 seconds. Thankfully, no injuries were reported. The aircraft, however, sustained extensive damage, resulting in a complete hull loss.
Shortly after the evacuation, a team from the Polish State Commission on Aircraft Accidents Investigation had discovered that the C829 circuit breaker, a breaker that included the alternate landing gear extension system, had in fact "popped"
Thirty minutes after departing Newark, the crew of Flight 16 received a warning that the center hydraulic system had malfunctioned. The crew decided to continue the flight to Warsaw to burn the heavy fuel load they were carrying for their transatlantic flight.
On approach into Warsaw, the crew of Flight 16 were unable to extend their landing gear and informed Warsaw air traffic control that they had suffered from a hydraulic system failure. Flight 16 continued to circle the airport to consume whatever excess fuel remained and allow time for ground emergency services to cover the runway with a fire suppression foam.
Two Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jets had now joined the Boeing 767 to visually confirm that the gear had failed to extend. The flight crew's further attempts to lower the landing gear by alternative means also failed.
At this time, all other flights due into Warsaw Chopin Airport had been diverted or returned to their point of departure as they closed the airport and surrounding roads in preparation for the emergency landing.
At 14:40 CET, the flight crew of Flight 16 successfully performed a belly landing as they touched down gear-up on Runway 33. As the aircraft slid to a stop, the cabin crew evacuated the entire aircraft within 90 seconds. Thankfully, no injuries were reported. The aircraft, however, sustained extensive damage, resulting in a complete hull loss.
Shortly after the evacuation, a team from the Polish State Commission on Aircraft Accidents Investigation had discovered that the C829 circuit breaker, a breaker that included the alternate landing gear extension system, had in fact "popped"
After the Boeing 767 was lifted off the runway, the C829 circuit breaker was closed, and the landing gear was extended normally.
Remember your instructor back in basic training who used to tell you to always check your circuit breakers…
Remember your instructor back in basic training who used to tell you to always check your circuit breakers…
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