Air Busan flight from Hong Kong aborts landing after gear malfunction scare

Pilot unable to confirm if landing gear functioning, prompting decision to circle around for additional checks

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A subsidiary of Asiana Airline, Air Busan was established in 2008 as a regional carrier. Photo: Facebook/Air Busan Hong Kong Branch

Published: 11:47pm, 3 Jan 2025Updated: 6:43pm, 5 Jan 2025

A flight from Hong Kong with 112 passengers on board was forced to abort its first landing attempt in Busan, South Korea, after a scare over a suspected malfunction in its landing gear.

The Air Busan Airbus A321 aircraft was eventually cleared to land after air traffic controllers at Busan airport visually confirmed that the landing gear was operating properly, South Korean media reports said on Friday.

The scare came days after the deadliest plane crash on South Korean soil. A Jeju Air flight from Bangkok crash-landed at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla province, killing 179 people on board. Only two crew members on the Boeing 737-800 survived Sunday’s crash.

The ill-fated flight carrying 181 people had attempted a wheelless or so-called belly landing amid undercarriage issues suspected to have been caused by a bird strike, skidding and crashing into a runway wall, triggering an explosion.

On Friday, Air Busan flight BX392 departed from Hong Kong at 1.50am, carrying 112 passengers. It reportedly encountered an issue with its landing gear status during its approach to Gimhae International Airport in Busan.

The pilot was unable to confirm if the landing gear was functioning, prompting a decision to circle around for additional checks.

Following the go-around, air traffic controllers visually inspected the landing gear and confirmed it had been deployed correctly. The aircraft subsequently landed without incident.