LOT Polish Airlines Flight 16
Encyclopedia
LOT Polish Airlines Flight 16 was a scheduled LOT Polish Airlines
flight between Newark Liberty International Airport
and Warsaw Chopin Airport. On 1 November 2011, flight 16, a Boeing 767-300ER
, successfully performed a belly landing
on runway 33 at the Warsaw airport when its landing gear would not extend. No one was injured in the accident. It was qualified as an aviation accident by State Commission on Aircraft Accidents Investigation
.
, LOT Polish Airlines
Flight 16 was scheduled to arrive at Warsaw Chopin Airport from Newark Liberty International Airport
when the approach was aborted due to the failure of the landing gear
to deploy. The technical difficulties were detected by Captain Tadeusz Wrona
within 30 minutes after takeoff from Newark Liberty International Airport. The crew indicated that the central hydraulic system had malfunctioned. The decision was made to continue to Warsaw in order to use up the heavy load of fuel needed for the transatlantic flight.
Captain Tadeusz Wrona, a thirty-year veteran pilot with twenty years of experience on the 767, and first officer Jerzy Szwarc informed Warsaw
air traffic control
(ATC) that they were unable to lower the landing gear due to a hydraulic systems failure. Warsaw ATC instructed them to circle the airport for over an hour and consume excess fuel in order to land light and to allow time for emergency services on ground to prepare for the emergency landing. Visual verification by two Polish Air Force
F-16 fighter jets showed that none of the landing gear were down; attempts to lower the gear by alternative means (electrically and mechanically) failed.
The airport was evacuated for the arrival of the aircraft, roads around the airport were closed to accommodate emergency services. Flights which had been scheduled to land in Warsaw were diverted to Kraków
, Katowice
, Poznań, Łódź and Gdańsk or returned to their point of departure.
On board the LOT Polish Airlines 767-300ER were 231 people, eleven crew and 220 passengers.
At 14:40 CET the cockpit crew successfully performed an emergency landing at Warsaw Chopin Airport on Runway 33 with no loss of life while the aircraft sustained substantial damage in the accident. Upon landing, all 220 passengers were evacuated in 90 seconds.
The airport remained closed to traffic until 4:00 CET, 3 November 2011 due to the effort of removing crash debris and inspection of the airport runways and aprons etc. The aircraft's landing gear was released by LOT technicians and the plane towed to a hangar for repairs and investigation.
Poland's President Bronisław Komorowski congratulated and thanked the crew for their successful landing.
Chesley Sullenberger
, who successfully ditched US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River on 15 January 2009 stated that this might have been the first emergency landing of its kind.
, registered SP-LPC, named Poznań
, serial number 28656, it was first delivered to LOT on 15 May 1997, and had undergone "full maintenance" in March 2011.
LOT Polish Airlines
Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A. , trading as LOT Polish Airlines, is the flag carrier of Poland. Based in Warsaw, LOT was established in 1929, making it one of the world's oldest airlines still in operation. Using a fleet of 55 aircraft, LOT operates a complex network to 60 destinations in Europe,...
flight between Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
and Warsaw Chopin Airport. On 1 November 2011, flight 16, a Boeing 767-300ER
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
, successfully performed a belly landing
Belly landing
A belly landing or gear-up landing occurs when an aircraft lands without its landing gear fully extended and uses its underside, or belly, as its primary landing device...
on runway 33 at the Warsaw airport when its landing gear would not extend. No one was injured in the accident. It was qualified as an aviation accident by State Commission on Aircraft Accidents Investigation
State Commission on Aircraft Accidents Investigation
The State Commission on Aircraft Accidents Investigation is the civil air accident investigation agency of Poland and a division of the Ministry of Infrastructure...
.
Accident
On 1 November 2011 at 13:35 CETCentral European Time
Central European Time , used in most parts of the European Union, is a standard time that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time . The time offset from UTC can be written as +01:00...
, LOT Polish Airlines
LOT Polish Airlines
Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A. , trading as LOT Polish Airlines, is the flag carrier of Poland. Based in Warsaw, LOT was established in 1929, making it one of the world's oldest airlines still in operation. Using a fleet of 55 aircraft, LOT operates a complex network to 60 destinations in Europe,...
Flight 16 was scheduled to arrive at Warsaw Chopin Airport from Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
when the approach was aborted due to the failure of the landing gear
Landing Gear
Landing Gear is Devin the Dude's fifth studio album. It was released on October 7, 2008. It was his first studio album since signing with the label Razor & Tie. It features a high-profile guest appearance from Snoop Dogg. As of October 30, 2008, the album has sold 18,906 copies.-Track...
to deploy. The technical difficulties were detected by Captain Tadeusz Wrona
Tadeusz Wrona
* Tadeusz Wrona , Polish civil pilot* Tadeusz Wrona , Polish politician, MP, mayor of Częstochowa...
within 30 minutes after takeoff from Newark Liberty International Airport. The crew indicated that the central hydraulic system had malfunctioned. The decision was made to continue to Warsaw in order to use up the heavy load of fuel needed for the transatlantic flight.
Captain Tadeusz Wrona, a thirty-year veteran pilot with twenty years of experience on the 767, and first officer Jerzy Szwarc informed Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
(ATC) that they were unable to lower the landing gear due to a hydraulic systems failure. Warsaw ATC instructed them to circle the airport for over an hour and consume excess fuel in order to land light and to allow time for emergency services on ground to prepare for the emergency landing. Visual verification by two Polish Air Force
Polish Air Force
The Polish Air Force is the military Air Force wing of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej...
F-16 fighter jets showed that none of the landing gear were down; attempts to lower the gear by alternative means (electrically and mechanically) failed.
The airport was evacuated for the arrival of the aircraft, roads around the airport were closed to accommodate emergency services. Flights which had been scheduled to land in Warsaw were diverted to Kraków
John Paul II International Airport Kraków-Balice
-Traffic:Figures in MillionsThe busiest international routes are to London and Dublin.-Getting there:In addition to road access by private car or taxi, other options are:-By train:...
, Katowice
Katowice International Airport
Katowice International Airport is an international airport, located in Pyrzowice, north of center of Katowice, Poland. The airport has third biggest passenger flow in Poland....
, Poznań, Łódź and Gdańsk or returned to their point of departure.
On board the LOT Polish Airlines 767-300ER were 231 people, eleven crew and 220 passengers.
At 14:40 CET the cockpit crew successfully performed an emergency landing at Warsaw Chopin Airport on Runway 33 with no loss of life while the aircraft sustained substantial damage in the accident. Upon landing, all 220 passengers were evacuated in 90 seconds.
The airport remained closed to traffic until 4:00 CET, 3 November 2011 due to the effort of removing crash debris and inspection of the airport runways and aprons etc. The aircraft's landing gear was released by LOT technicians and the plane towed to a hangar for repairs and investigation.
Poland's President Bronisław Komorowski congratulated and thanked the crew for their successful landing.
Chesley Sullenberger
Chesley Sullenberger
Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III is an American airline transport pilot , safety expert, and accident investigator from Danville, California...
, who successfully ditched US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River on 15 January 2009 stated that this might have been the first emergency landing of its kind.
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 767-300ERBoeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
, registered SP-LPC, named Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
, serial number 28656, it was first delivered to LOT on 15 May 1997, and had undergone "full maintenance" in March 2011.