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Journalism of Courage
Terrifying moments unfolded on a Frontier Airlines flight from Florida to Puerto Rico when a malfunction during landing caused one of the plane’s front wheels to break off and apparently catch fire, leaving passengers fearing for their lives. According to a report by the New York Post, the incident happened on April 15 as the Airbus A321, carrying 228 passengers, made a rough approach to the runway before pulling up again.
Passenger-captured footage showed smoke and a fiery glow beneath the aircraft, as frightened voices, especially those of crying children, filled the cabin. The first attempt at landing ended in a mechanical failure, and that forced the pilots to abort. “We were landing and the landing was very bad, aggressive and at a high speed,” wrote Melani Gonzalez Wharton, who was traveling with her husband and their two young sons after a family trip to Florida’s theme parks, on Facebook. “This caused one of the tires on the front of the plane to break and catch fire.”
Wharton also admitted she expected the worst. “For a few minutes I thought it was the end of our story here on earth,” she wrote, sharing a video from her window seat showing the glow of the fire and smoke streaming under the aircraft.
After circling the airport four times, according to FlightAware, the plane approached the runway twice more, once coming within 500 feet, before finally landing safely at 10:54 PM. Photos posted online later confirmed the front landing gear was missing a wheel. No injuries were reported.
The videos went viral and netizens shared their views in the comments. A user called it, “Scary.” Another individual commented, “Pilots should be fired immediately.”
A third user wrote, “I’m not sure ‘malfunction’would be the word I’d use when the pilot’s hard landing caused one of the nose wheels to depart the landing gear and fly into the engine. Considering that series of events I think it is functioning quite well and should be commended, unlike the pilot.”
