See trail of fire as FedEx plane crash-lands at Tennessee airport without landing gear
A FedEx airplane made an emergency crash landing in Tennessee after its landing gear failed to descend, creating a trail of fire as the plane hit the tarmac.
The FedEx Boeing 757 was traveling out of Chattanooga toward Memphis on Oct. 4 when it experienced a landing gear failure shortly after takeoff, a FedEx spokesperson told the Associated Press.
The airplane, with three crew members on board, circled the airport before the crew decided to make an emergency landing, according to a post from the Chattanooga Fire Department on X, formally Twitter.
The plane came in hot, with no landing gear, and collided with the tarmac, shooting sparks and flames as the plane skidded along the pavement, a video from the Hamilton County EMS shows.
In the video, the plane is seen barreling down the length of the runway, a trail of fire on both sides of the fuselage.
The plane slid off the edge of the runway, coming to a stop before hitting a nearby road, the fire department said on X.
The Chattanooga Fire Department said the plane itself was not on fire, and only smoke seeped from the engines, according to the post.
All three crew members were safe and accounted for, the fire department said.
“Great work by the pilot and airport personnel, as well as all the responding agencies for their coordinated efforts,” the department said in a post.
The National Transportation Safety Board told the Associated Press it would investigate the landing.
The main runway of the airport was closed after the incident but has reopened, Chattanoogan.com reported.
This story was originally published October 5, 2023 at 2:53 PM with the headline "See trail of fire as FedEx plane crash-lands at Tennessee airport without landing gear."
