Investigators said Friday they found hydraulic fluid leaking from a hose in the landing gear system of a FedEx plane that was forced to make an emergency landing this month in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The National Transportation Safety Board said that investigators also found a “discontinuity” in the wiring of an alternate system for lowering the landing gear.
Video captured by emergency responders showed sparks flying after the Boeing 757 touched down on Oct. 4 with the left landing gear not fully extended. The plane ran off the end of the runway, but none of the three crew members were injured.
The pilots reported that after taking off from Chattanooga, they got a warning about low fluid level and a lack of pressure in one of the hydraulic systems, and they decided to return to the airport.
After getting an alert about the landing gear, the pilots declared an emergency. They did a low fly-by that allowed people in the airport tower to confirm that the left landing gear was not extended.
The pilots circled and landed with the crippled gear. They were able to keep the plane going straight but couldn't stop until 830 feet beyond the end of the runway, the NTSB said in a preliminary report. Pilots used a slide to get out of the plane.
The NTSB said an examination showed that a hose tied to a component used to activate the landing gear was leaking hydraulic fluid.
The NTSB said it is continuing to investigate the incident.
