Video: Polish Airlines flight lands on its fiery belly

by Steven Mostyn - Nov 3 2011, 12:12

This particular writer is no great fan of flying. Necessary evil that it is when seeking to quickly travel great distance, I find the process of landing to be especially testing upon the nerves.

Yet, amid the stomach-churning sudden deceleration and buffeting crosswinds as the ground rushes upward, the audible whirr and grind of the plane’s landing gear locking into place represents some modicum of comfort.

However, 230 passengers aboard a Boeing 767 from Newark, USA, to Warsaw, Poland, were robbed of that shallow solace this week when their flight was forced to land on its exposed belly.

With pilot skill trumping the distinct lack of landing gear, all of the passengers aboard the Polish Airlines LOT flight emerged unscathed from the ordeal after the plane scraped its way up the landing strip amid a cloud of smoke and sparks.

According to reports, a technical error aboard the plane prevented the crew from dropping either the nose or fuselage wheels into place.

The plane circled Warsaw International Airport for more than an hour in order to burn off excess fuel and limit the chance of fire upon landing.

I can’t go on… I may well lose sleep if I dwell any longer. Click below to see the successful emergency landing for yourselves. Shudder.

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