Plane in trouble at LAX lands safely

A plane in trouble above LA airport today landed safely at 1.20pm NZT.

The pilot had a problem with the undercarriage on the JetBlue passenger plane. The front wheels were stuck in a sideways position.

CNN said the Airbus A320 was due to fly from Burbank, California, to New York. There were 129 passengers onboard.

It showed pictures of the plane circling near the airport and said it was dumping fuel over the Pacific. After landing there was considerable fire around the front undercarriage but the plane came to a safe halt. 

Shortly after the plane took off, the pilot discovered that he may have a landing gear problem," said US Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Donn Walker.
Flight 292 took off from Burbank airport in Los Angeles at 3.17pm (10.17am NZT) and was bound for New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The Airbus A320 jet was scheduled to land on the southernmost of the Los Angeles airport's four landing strips, a spokeswoman for the airport said.

Television images showed the jet circling with the front landing gear turned at a 90-degree angle from its normal position.

The jet flew past the tower at Long Beach airport, south of Los Angeles, where officials confirmed the problem with the landing gear.

Officials later said that the pilot was circling away from other flights to burn off fuel before attempting a landing.

Emergency crews, including fire trucks and rescue helicopters, stood by to await the landing and arrived shortly after the landing.

JetBlue, which began flying out of the Burbank airport in May, equips its planes with DirecTV screens built into the seats in front of each passenger, leaving open the possibility that travelers were able to follow their own predicament via updates airing on news channels.

The fast-growing airline operates 81 Airbus A320 jets, according to its website.

- HERALD ONLINE STAFF, REUTERS