Watch: Passenger terror as landing gear fails at JFK Airport
ABC7
Passengers had a lucky escape when the landing gear failed on a plane bound for New York's JFK Airport.
The pilot of the TAM Airlines plane told the 190 passengers on board to assume the brace position, as the nose gear appeared to be stuck sideways as the plane prepared to land.
Fortunately, the landing gear corrected itself just in time, locking itself into the correct position when the plane was just 50 feet above the runway.
The plane had been forced to circle around the airport so that controllers and rescuers could take a good look at the problem.
A controller radioed one of the pilots to report that "it [the landing gear] appears to be cocked at 90 degrees".
The New York Post reports that none of the passengers aboard the TAM Airlines Flight 8078 were injured, although everyone was absolutely terrified.
One passenger, Anna Maria Falcao told the newspaper: "Everyone was panicking inside the plane.
"Even the crew was running around panicking, saying, 'Don't worry, no one's going to die.' So many people were crying."
Another passenger, Matheus Freiha, said: "The captain kept saying, 'Be calm, keep calm. We know what we're doing."
Despite the drama, the landing turned out to be smooth and uneventful.
"It was a perfect landing, better than normal," said Mr Freiha.
According to the Daily Mail, relieved passengers applauded the flight crew, and the pilots could also be heard on radio transmissions thanking the air traffic control tower for their help.
Click on the image below to see footage of the dramatic landing...
Related articles
Video: scariest plane landings
Passengers scream in terror as plane aborts landing in strong winds
