Thousands Delayed After Incredible Emergency Landing by Virgin Atlantic 747 (+video)

At least 10,000 passengers flying to and from Gatwick had their flights cancelled when the airport’s single runway closed following an emergency landing. A Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 returned to the Sussex airport for a “non-standard landing procedure”.

The Jumbo jet, flight number VS43, had taken off at 11.44am for the 5,200-mile flight to Las Vegas, with an estimated 450 passengers on board. The flight crew became aware of a problem with the landing gear soon after take-off. The aircraft flew circuits over southern England while burning fuel to reduce its weight, and made two low-altitude passes over Gatwick for visual inspection of the undercarriage.

The aircraft landed safely shortly before 4pm, with emergency vehicles in attendance. Nick Hughes, a passenger on the aircraft, told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Initially they didn’t reveal everything to the passengers. After we’d circled a few times you got the sense things weren’t quite right. They gave every opportunity for the landing gear to open, but unfortunately it never did.

“The actual landing was one of the softest landings I’d ever had. The crew were exemplary.”

The aircraft remained on the runway for more than three hours after the landing, closing the airport to arrivals and departures. (Read more about the incredible emergency landing HERE)