What happened
On 1 May 2012, an Airbus A300-605R, registration TC-OAG, was operating a positioning flight for Saudi Arabian Airlines from Madinah to Jeddah, carrying 10 crew members and no passengers. During the initial ILS approach to runway 16R, the crew lowered the landing gear handle. While the main landing gear successfully extended and locked, the nose landing gear failed to descend despite the nose gear doors opening.
Following the failure, the pilot flying initiated a missed approach. The crew was directed to an area northeast of Jeddah to attempt to rectify the issue. They performed at least ten manual free-fall attempts on the nose gear, but the gear remained unlatched. As a precaution, the aircraft performed a low-altitude fly-by of runway 16R to confirm the gear status with air traffic control.
To prepare for an emergency landing, the aircraft was vectored over the Red Sea to burn off fuel and reduce landing weight. Emergency services prepared a section of runway 16L with foam. During the final approach to runway 16L, the crew operated without autopilot or autothrottle. The aircraft touched down on its main gear 4,000 feet past the threshold. As the aircraft decelerated, the nose gear doors contacted the runway, followed by the front of the fuselage. The nose area slid along the runway surface, producing sparks, until the aircraft stopped 1,500 feet before the runway end. All 10 crew members were evacuated via ladders and treated at an airport clinic; no injuries were reported.
Findings
- The nose landing gear failed to extend and lock into position.
- The crew attempted multiple manual deployment procedures without success.