NEWARK - A United Airlines flight landed with the plane’s right wing striking a runway at Newark Liberty International Airport yesterday after the right-side landing gear failed to deploy.
No injuries were reported in the landing about 9:30 a.m. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, said all 53 people aboard Flight 634 from Chicago got off the plane safely.
Arlene Salac, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said the Airbus 319’s right main landing gear did not extend, although its nose and left main landing gear did, making for a bumpier-than-usual landing. Robin Urbanski, United Airlines spokeswoman, said it was not clear what caused the malfunction.
The direct flight for Newark left Chicago about 6 a.m. On board were 48 passengers and five crew members.
Ron Marsico, Port Authority spokesman, said the airport was closed for about 20 minutes, then two of its three runways reopened after the plane landed. The plane remained on the third runway yesterday afternoon, as investigators tried to determine what caused the problem.
Some arriving flights were delayed about an hour. Some minor departure delays were reported.
In Cleveland yesterday, road salt accumulating on a utility pole caused a fire that knocked out electrical power to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, canceling dozens of flights.
The fire on a utility pole in suburban Brook Park next to the airport caused the pole to fall on lines, interrupting power at about 6:50 a.m., according to the airport and Akron-based
The salt combined with moisture acted as a conductor for electricity in high voltage lines, starting a fire that smoldered on the inside of the pole, according to the utility. Crews restored power about 2:30 p.m.
Almost all of the day’s normal departures of about 260 flights were canceled.
