Allegiant Jet Moved After Emergency Landing
POSTED: 6:21 pm EDT March 29, 2007
UPDATED: 12:55 pm EDT March 30, 2007
SANFORD, Fla. -- Some passengers on an Allegiant Air flight to Sanford on Thursday got a real scare during landing.
The nose gear on the jet failed, and 147 passengers skidded down a runway at Orlando-Sanford International Airport, WESH 2 News reported.
The passengers aboard the plane said the flight crew issued instructions about how to prepare for a crash landing.
"It was very scary, very scary," Jennifer Wysocki said.
Allegiant Air Flight 758 did land safely. Wysocki held her twin toddlers tightly.
"My God, they're not in belts, and they're in our laps, and what do we do?" Wysocki said.
The passengers learned of the problem about one hour before landing. The plane's landing gear somehow malfunctioned on its way from Portsmouth, N.H., to Sanford.
"They prepared us for a crash landing," a passenger said.
"You put your head down. You take everything out of your pants, pockets, all of your jewelry off," passenger Bill Fricke said.
On the runway, emergency crews were ready to spring into action.
"I did a lot of praying, I'll tell you," Fricke said.
Once the plane was safely on the ground, the passengers were evacuated using emergency chutes. One passenger suffered a sprained ankle and another said they had chest pains.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident. Records showed the plane was built in 1994 and was up to date on all inspections.
