Two Passengers Taken To Hospital Following Hard Landing At
ORD
A United Airlines Airbus A320 with 127 people onboard went off
the runway following a hard landing at Chicago's O'Hare
International Airport Tuesday night, resulting in two dented engine
nacelles and at least two passenger injuries.
"We came down and as we landed, the first thing that happened is
we just hit -- real hard, on the first impact," passenger Andy
Pasternak told Chicago's NBC5 after the incident, which involved
Flight 628 from Seattle. "It was unusually hard."
The aircraft blew a right maingear tire on landing, and departed
runway 22 right at approximately 2030 CDT Tuesday. The aircraft
then rolled back onto the runway, before coming to a stop.
"The engine must have, at that point, started hitting something,
hitting some objects on the ground," Pasternak said. "Because there
were very significant dents in the engine that you could see."
The aircraft was able to taxi to the gate under its own power.
Two people onboard were taken to the hospital with unspecified
injuries, and a flight attendant was also reportedly injured.
"It was the hardest hit I've ever had in an airplane, and we fly
every week," said another passenger, Ron Bellamy.
UAL representatives declined to be interview, saying only the
airline would investigate... and that safety was the carrier's
Number 1 priority.
According to Bellamy, United pilots also have a gift for
understatement.
"The pilot did say something" after the incident, Bellamy said.
"He said 'Welcome to Chicago!'"
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 431UA
Make/Model: A320 Description:
A-320
Date: 10/10/2007 Time: 0134
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
None Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Substantial
LOCATION
City: CHICAGO State: IL Country:
US
DESCRIPTION
N431UA, UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 628, AN AIRBUS A320 AIRCRAFT,
LANDED HARD,
BLEW A RIGHT MAIN TIRE, WENT OFF THE RUNWAY, RE-ENTERED THE
RUNWAY AND
TAXIED TO THE GATE, TWO PERSONS ON BOARD SUSTAINED UNKNOWN
INJURIES, DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT SUBSTANTIAL, CHICAGO, IL
INJURY DATA Total
Fatal: 0
# Crew: 5 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk: 1
# Pass: 122 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk: 1
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER: 0051Z 30017G23 10SM CLR 16/14 A2991
OTHER DATA
Activity: Business Phase:
Landing Operation: Air Carrier
FAA FSDO: WEST CHICAGO, IL
(GL03)
Entry date: 10/10/2007