Stricken Plane Lands Safely at S.F. Airport

SAN FRANCISCO — A Delta Air Lines flight bound from San Francisco to Salt Lake City made an emergency landing Monday evening after reportedly experiencing problems with its landing gear.

KCBS radio and KTVU television in San Francisco reported that the Boeing 727-200 landed without any injuries, although it could not use its right landing gear. Emergency crews were waiting for the flight.

The pilot informed passengers of the landing gear problems soon after takeoff, said one passenger, Bill Ruck, who was interviewed by KCBS. The plane then circled the airport for an hour and dumped fuel.

As the plane landed, its right wing apparently dragged on the runway. Passengers exited by an inflatable slide.

“It was so silent on the plane, except for a baby crying, which made us mothers even more tense,” said Jane Vaughn of Utah, describing the mood inside the passenger cabin before landing. “It seemed like an eternity from the time we went to the braced position until the time we finally touched the ground. And as we touched the ground, we could hear the wings dragging along the ground.”

Some air traffic was routed away from San Francisco because of the closed runway.

Flight 1972 was scheduled to leave at 6:35 p.m. and arrive in Salt Lake at 9:08 p.m. It was then scheduled to travel on to Kalispell, Mont., arriving 11:45 p.m. The flight was back on the ground in San Francisco by 8:30 p.m.

Airport officials did not respond to calls seeking comment Monday evening.