AUGUST 10, 00:41 EDT TWA Jet Makes Emergency Landing

By DAVID SCOTT Associated Press Writer

MASCOUTAH, Ill. (AP) — A TWA jetliner made an emergency landing without its nose landing gear Thursday night. The airline said none of the 71 passengers and five crew were injured.

Flight 519 from Nashville, Tenn., to St. Louis diverted from Lambert Airport to MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah, 25 miles to the east, where firefighters covered the runway with foam to prevent fire.

``I think there were a number of people on the plane that expected to die,'' said passenger Bob Burdorsf, an engineer from Wichita, Kan., who was heading home from Nashville.

``I have to compliment the pilot'' on the landing, Burdorsf said.

TWA spokeswoman Julia Bishop-Cross said one passenger with a heart condition was taken to a hospital for observation.

The plane had been earlier diverted to Springfield, Ill., because of storms in the St. Louis area.

Bishop-Cross said there was ``not a whole lot of damage'' to the plane. Passengers exited on inflatable slides and were taken to St. Louis by bus.

Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration determined a series of emergency landings involving TWA aircraft were coincidence.

The FAA reviewed the airline's maintenance procedures after four TWA MD-80s made emergency landings in a six-day period in July.

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

Answers

Jet's Gear Crack Forced Landing

By Associated Press

August 10, 2001

MASCOUTAH, Ill. -- A crack in nose landing gear of a TWA jetliner apparently prevented the gear from opening, forcing an emergency landing, authorities said Friday.

The damaged nose landing gear deflector will be examined by the National Transportation Safety Board to see why it cracked, NTSB investigator Ed Malinowski said. The equipment deflects water as the plane lands.

A preliminary report is expected in about a week, he said.

Flight 519 from Nashville, Tenn., to St. Louis diverted Thursday evening from Lambert Airport to MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah, 25 miles to the east. None of the 71 passengers and five crew were injured.

Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration determined a series of emergency landings involving TWA aircraft were a coincidence.

The FAA reviewed the airline's maintenance procedures after four TWA MD-80s made emergency landings in a six-day period in July. Copyright © 2001, The Associated Press

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001