Air Transport

A Lion Air Boeing MD-90 late yesterday landed at Batam airport without its front landing gear extended, resulting in damage to the undercarriage and the airport having to be closed.

The Indonesian airline's general director, Edward Sirait, says the MD-90, local registration PK-LIO, was on a domestic flight from Medan to Batam when the crew discovered the aircraft's front landing gear was unable to be deployed.

He says the pilots carried out an emergency landing at Batam and no one on board was injured.

The aircraft had to be towed to the apron and the airport was closed until 0600 this morning, adds Sirait.

Local news reports say the emergency landing happened at around 1915 local time yesterday.

Pictures taken last night show fire crews spraying foam on the aircraft to prevent fire.

Lion Air has five MD-90s as well as MD-80-series aircraft but has been phasing out its older MDs with new Boeing 737-900ERs.

© Tribuana Wetangterah@Facebook