On February 14, a Turkish SunExpress Boeing 737-800 encountered a thrilling scene at Antalya Airport (AYT). A passenger plane with registration number TC-SOB was carrying out flight XQ7646, preparing to fly from Antalya to Gaziantep.When the aircraft was taxiing normally on the taxiway and preparing to take off, a serious mechanical failure occurred in the left main landing gear.
Judging from the photos of the scene circulated on the Internet, after the landing gear broke, due to the huge support force, the balance was instantly unbalanced, and the upper pillar of the landing gear directly pierced the surface of the wing upwards.
The support of the landing gear was lost, and the left wing sank.The CFM56 engine nacelle hit the concrete floor heavily, and the fuselage tilted severely.
It is reported that there were 175 passengers and 6 crew members on board at the time. After the accident, the airport tower immediately ordered the closure of the relevant taxiway, and ground rescue forces quickly arrived.
Since the accident occurred during the low-speed taxiing stage, it did not cause a fire or explosion. All 181 people on board were safely evacuated, and there were no casualties.
Currently, this 16-year-old Boeing 737 passenger plane has been lifted up by an inflatable air bag and pulled back to the parking position for accident investigation. Initially, it seems that the repair cost will be astronomical, and it may even face scrapping.
The airline has arranged for 175 passengers to take another plane to their destination.