On 20th August 2023, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 sustained substantial damage after a heavy landing at Santa Ana Airport in California. Apparently, the B737 landed so hard in the winds that the landing gear punctured the wing.
The Boeing 737-800 with registration N516AS, was operating flight AS1288 from Seattle to Santa Ana, California. However, on landing at Santa Ana, the B737 suffered a left main gear collapse, leading to the left engine dragging on the ground.
Flight AS1288 stopped on the taxiway where it was attended by firefighters to escort the passengers safely to the terminal. Due to the heavy impact, the left main gear reportedly punctured through the wing, which grounded the aircraft.
Image via Orange County Fire Authority
Footages shared on the internet show the extent of damage sustained by the aircraft, with some photos indicating that the MLG mount broke through the upper wing skin.
Image via Twitter (SDYankee69)
Thankfully, no one was injured. Firefighters worked with airport staff and the pilots to safely get everyone off the plane. The airport arranged a shuttle that drove up to the aircraft as the firefighters made sure everyone could safely disembark from the aircraft.
Image via Twitter (SDYankee69)
Image via Twitter (SDYankee69)
“Last night amid the rain and wind our crews were called to John Wayne Airport when a 737 experienced an issue while taxiing to the gate after landing. Fortunately, no one was injured. They were however stranded.”
Orange County Fire Authority Spokesperson
“Airport emergencies are just one of the many things OCFA firefighters train on. That joint training with airport staff makes these incidents run smoothly,” continued the spokesperson.
No one was injured. Image via Orange County Fire Authority
Holy cow, this @AlaskaAir 737-800 (N516AS) had a major accident last night at SNA, first reported by @xJonNYC.
Whatever happened resulted in the left main gear puncturing through the wing. The approach on FR24 looks normal, they’ll have to pull the granular data to learn more. https://t.co/wfMJM5ZONwpic.twitter.com/sOGSFam0Fs
