Videos: 10 impressive emergency landings that have saved lives

On March 29, 2022, the passengers of Latam flight A-320 got a big scare, since the plane they were on had to make an emergency landing at the José María Córdova airport in Rionegro, Antioquia.

According to the official statement from the Civil Aeronautics, what happened was that the crew detected a fault in the tires of the front train. The pilots had to fly over the area to spend fuel and land safely. Fortunately, the landing was successful and no one was injured.

Throughout these years, pilots have had to perform incredible feats to save the lives of their passengers. Learn about the emergency landings that have saved the lives of hundreds of people.

Air Canada Flight 143

On July 23, 1983, the Boeing 767 ran out of fuel on a flight from Ottawa to Edmonton, Canada. This caused both engines to shut down at an altitude of 41,000 feet.

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According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, This situation was caused by a miscalculation in the fuel, since the ground crew loaded the jet with only half of the gasoline they needed for the trip.

This flight, known as the ‘Gimli Gli’, landed safely thanks to Captain Robert Pearson and Pilot Maurice Quintal. The plane’s descent was at a Canadian air base and its 62 passengers were safe, despite minor injuries and nose damage.

China Airlines Flight 006

On February 19, 1985, the Boeing 747SP was traveling from Taipei, Taiwan, to Los Angeles, United States, and they were at an altitude of 41 thousand feet when, suddenly, the engines began to lose power. As the pilots searched for what had happened, the plane began to spiral downward.

The pilots, who were confused and terrified, struggled to regain control of the aircraft. When his hopes were lost, Captain Min-Yuan Ho regained control and leveled the plane.

The captain had to land the plane in San Francisco. Upon arrival, investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the pilots had caused the emergency.

Aloha Airlines Flight 243

The Boeing 737-297 aircraft had an explosive decompression on its flight on April 28, 1988. It was a scheduled route between Hilo and Honolulu, Hawaii. However, this mishap occurred that forced them to make an emergency landing.

When the plane was at 24,000 feet, the roof fell off a small section of the front of the plane, this occurred by a decompression explosion. The plane began to roll from left to right and the controls released.

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From their seats, passengers could see the blue sky above their heads. Captain Shornstheimer took control and began an emergency descent. While they were landing, the left engine failed and they didn’t know if the landing gear was down.

Miraculously they managed to land. A total of 65 passengers and crew members were injured and there was one fatality: flight attendant Clarabelle Lansing, who was ejected from the plane in the incident.

TACA Airlines Flight 145

The Boeing 737-300 was another aircraft that lost power from its engines during flight. The jet was hit by heavy rain and winds while flying across the Gulf of Mexico on May 24, 1988.

Captain Carlos Dardano found a vast strip of grass, which belonged to NASA, to make his landing. No one was injured and all 45 passengers arrived safe and sound.

British Airways Flight 5390

On July 10, 1990, half of Captain Tim Lancaster’s body was ejected from the plane. This was due to a malfunctioning windshield panel causing an explosive decompression at 17,000 feet.

27 hours before the flight the windshield panel had been replaced. The maintenance people did not put the exact screws causing this big incident.

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The plane managed to land thanks to co-pilot Alastair Atchiso. Meanwhile, the stewardesses held the captain’s feet. Upon arrival, he regained consciousness and was taken to hospital. No one was injured on the flight.

US Airways Flight 1549

On January 15, 2009, the engines of the Airbus A320 went out after colliding with a flock of Canadian geese. Captain Chesley Sullenberger III safely guided the plane to a water landing in New York’s Hudson River, USA.

Known as the ‘Miracle on the Hudson’, it was one of the most heroic achievements accomplished by an aviator.

LOT Polish Airlines Flight 16

On November 1, 2011, the Lot Polish Airlines Boeing was going from Newark, New Jersey to Warsaw, Poland. Due to a hydraulic leak, the plane’s landing gear could not be deployed.

As usual, it flew over to burn off the fuel load. But during this, the gear never went down, so the plane had to land without wheels.

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Miraculously, the landing was made and all 231 people on board were saved.

Qantas Flight 464

The Airbus A330 – 300 had a landing in extremely dangerous conditions on October 15, 2014. The airport in Sydney, Australia, was attacked by a violent thunderstorm that had winds of 70 mph.

The plane had already flown over the area for more than an hour. So Captain Jerem Zwart and First Officer Lachlan Smale had to negotiate the landing. Amid thunder and high winds, they successfully lowered the jet.

The pilot was hailed as a hero for landing in those conditions.

Between thunder and strong winds they were able to successfully land the jet.

United Airlines Flight 1175

On February 14, 2018, a Boeing 777-222 aircraft was en route to Honolulu, Hawaii. In the middle of the trip, an engine of the plane began to fail. At that moment, the crew heard a loud explosion and immediately the plane began to shake.

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Captain Christopher Behman and the crew shut down the failed engine and began an emergency landing. The descent was made in Honolulu and none of the 374 passengers were injured.

Southwest Airlines Flight 1380

On April 17, 2018, a Boeing 737-7h4 was en route from New York to Dallas when the engine hood ruptured and engine fragments damaged the fuselage, causing an explosive depressurization of the aircraft.

They quickly declared an emergency and landed in Philadelphia. Along the way, a woman died. The other passengers were not harmed.

Pilot Tammie Jo Shults was hailed a hero for guiding the plane in those conditions.