The crew of the JetBlue flight that got all the attention took off from Burbank, Calif., bound to JFK in New York, last Wednesday, with 146 passengers and crew on board. The flight crew observed illumination of a caution light upon retracting the landing gear after takeoff, the NTSB said. They consulted with officials from the airline and Airbus while holding for about three hours to burn off fuel, and flew by a tower to get a visual check on the condition of the landing gear. It was decided to land at LAX, at least partly because JetBlue has a maintenance facility there. News reports followed the incident live, and the reports were watched by the passengers on board, who were told to prepare for a bumpy landing. The NTSB said its investigators will examine the airplane, interview the flight crew and other airline personnel, and review maintenance and service records. The cockpit voice recorder and digital flight data recorder were removed from the airplane and secured. Airbus declined to comment on the incident, saying it would wait for the results of the NTSB investigation.
…What The JetBlue Crew Experienced
Key Takeaways:
- A JetBlue flight departing Burbank for JFK experienced a landing gear caution light shortly after takeoff, prompting the crew to hold for three hours.
- After consulting with airline/Airbus and performing a tower fly-by for a visual check, the flight diverted and landed at LAX, where JetBlue has a maintenance facility.
- Passengers were informed and watched live news coverage of their own flight while preparing for a potentially bumpy landing.
- The NTSB is investigating the incident, having secured the cockpit voice and digital flight data recorders, and plans to interview the crew and examine the aircraft.
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