The right landing gear of a Boeing 737 operated by Sun Country Airlines collapsed on landing at Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport early on Sunday morning.
All 50 passengers and six crew members were unharmed after the plane came to a sudden halt on the runway. The near 21-year-old plane remained stranded on the runway as officials readied emergency plans to recover the stricken aircraft.
Sun Country flight 110 departed Las Vegas at 12:39 am bound for Minneapolis St Paul but diverted back to Las Vegas after developing a mechanical issue. After circling back over the Nevada desert, the aircraft landed at around 3:18 am when the landing gear collapsed.
A spokesperson for the airline confirmed all passengers and crew deplaned safely.
“Las Vegas Emergency Response personnel responded to the aircraft and all 50 passengers and six crew members were safely deplaned via an airstairs before being transported to the terminal. At this point there is no report of injuries,” the airline said in a statement.
“We will first and foremost take care of our passengers and crew,” the statement continued. “We will then fully investigate this incident to understand what happened.”
Despite a runway being closed because of the stricken plane, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported no significant delays out of Las Vegas on Friday.
An initial report from the FAA on the accident simply stated: “Aircraft departed and returned. Landed and gear collapsed”.
