Delta Air Lines flight lands safely in US without front landing gear

A Delta Air Lines flight made a safe emergency landing at an airport in North Carolina on Wednesday, after the plane’s nose gear failed to deploy.

No injuries were reported on Delta 1092, which carried more than 100 people, according to news reports.

The Boeing 717 plane departed from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

As the plane approached the airport, the pilot alerted air traffic control that the aircraft was experiencing a landing gear issue, said NBC affiliate WCNC Charlotte.

After the plane circled the airport, the pilot was able to safely land the aircraft without the nose gear, said WCNC.

Passengers had to disembark using a jet slide after the plane landed, said CNBC, adding that the inflatable slide extended from a door of the plane.

In a statement to the BBC, the airline said the incident was a “rare occurrence” and that Delta crews “train extensively to safely manage through many scenarios and Flight 1092 landed safely without reported injuries”.

“Our focus is now to take care of our customers on this flight, including retrieving their bags and seeing them to their final destinations safely,” said the airline.

The airline reportedly said that it was fully cooperating with the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board investigations.

Some passengers on the flight shared their experiences with local media and on social media.

One of them, Twitter user kparks, wrote: “So this just happened... On Delta Flight 1092 and we just landed in Charlotte, without nose gear! The crew was amazing and the pilots landed it smoothly!”