Português
This picture shows me a Boeing 767, which is a wide-body, twin-engine jet aircraft that belongs to LOT Polish Airlines as we can see the company livery printed on the fuselage.
It seems this aircraft is performing a belly landing because the landing gears are retracted, the flaps and slats are fully extended, and it is possible to see sparks and smoke being generated by friction between the fuselage and the runway pavement.
In the background, I can see that the sky is clear, there are some light poles and what it seems to be an antenna. I can also see some trees and a blue building.
In front of the main focus, I can see a grassy area.
In your opinion, what was happening before this picture was taken?
Talking about what happened before this picture was taken, probably the aircraft had suffered a landing gear malfunction. The pilots performed all necessary checks to solve the problem but a belly landing was necessary because the landing gear could not be extended.
What do you think will happen next?
In my opinion, the pilots will bring the aircraft to a full stop on the runway, the flight attendants will start an emergency evacuation, the fire fighters will approach the aircraft to help passengers, crew and start fire prevention work. Then, the airline company will remove the aircraft from the runway to the hangar for investigation and maintenance.
What are the dangers of a belly landing?
During a belly landing, there is normally extensive damage to the airplane. Moreover, a belly landing carries the risk of that the aircraft may flip over, disintegrate or even catch fire if it lands too fast or too hard.
Now, I am going to read a statement to you and then you will have to tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with it. “Except for the extremely rare mechanical failures that prevent normal or emergency gear extension, belly landing is the result of pilot distraction”
I disagree with this statement because, during the final approach, pilots are very focused on all procedures. They would be aware of the situation and inform the controller immediately about the situation and proceed to follow the appropriate checklist. If nothing works, then they would proceed to perform a belly landing.
Vocabulary Glossary
Belly Landing –
a belly landing or gear-up landing occurs when an aircraft lands without its landing gear fully extended and uses its underside, or belly, as its primary landing device.
Grassy Area –
an area covered with grass.
Sparks –
a small fiery particle thrown off from a fire, alight in ashes, or produced by striking together two hard surfaces such as stone or metal.