LONG BEACH, Calif. - A Jet Blue airliner unsuccessfully attempted to make an emergency landing Wednesday after its front wheels were turned sideways and unable to retract into the plane after takeoff from a nearby airport.
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The plane carrying 139 passengers left Burbank Airport at 3:17 p.m. for New York's JFK airport, said Jet Blue spokesman Bryan Baldwin.
Jet Blue flight 292 was circling the Long Beach Airport, about 30 miles south of Burbank, as the pilot and aviation officials tried to determine what the best solution was. The Airbus A320 was dumping fuel over the Pacific, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Donn Walker.
TV images showed the nose wheel turned perpendicular. Its back landing gear was also down but appeared to be in the correct position.
"After leaving Burbank, pilots reported a landing gear indication light on, meaning there may be a problem or issue with the landing gear," Baldwin said.
The crew then decided to return to an airport to attempt to land, he said. The pilots were "able to determine the problem with assistance from air traffic control."
Walker said dumping fuel would help the plane land.
"They can't be that heavy," Walker said.
No other details were immediately available.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050921/...iner_emergency
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