Two Qantas pilots suspended for failing to deploy landing gear

Qantas has suspended two pilots for failing to deploy the landing gear when an aircraft was coming in to land in Sydney.

The Boeing 767-300 was on a morning flight from Melbourne as it came in to land at Sydney airport last week. The airplane’s warning system alerted the crew to the dangerous oversight when the aircraft was just 700 feet above the ground.

Luckily, the plane was able to climb back to altitude and landed without incidents minutes later. No one was injured

Investigators are reportedly looking at possible human error and a communication breakdown between the first officer and captain about who was responsible for lowering the landing gear.

The Boeing 767-300 was on a morning flight from Melbourne as it came in to land at Sydney airport last week.

Once the error was realised, the pilots returned power to the engines and regained altitude, before circling and successfully landing.

But how they came so close to trying to land the jet without being ready is now the subject of a serious incident investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

Qantas released a statement admitting the gravity of the situation.

“This is an extremely rare event but one we have taken seriously,” the statement said.

“The flight crew knew all required procedures but there was a brief communications breakdown. They responded quickly to the situation and instigated a go-around. The cockpit alert coincided with their actions.”

The cockpit alert was an audible warning from the ground proximity warning system.

The airline says there was no issue of flight safety and it is fully cooperating with the investigation.