The plane, owned by Mahan Air, was flying from Mashhad to Tehran. As they were preparing to land, the crew discovered that the landing gear could not be lowered.
The Mehr news agency said Mehrabad firefighters took what has become standard procedure in such emergencies. They covered the runway with fire-retardant foam. The foam provides a slippery surface on which the plane can land while at the same time smothering sparks that are inevitably thrown up as the metal plane slides down the concrete runway.
Fortunately, the pilot was able to keep the plane on the runway and it came to a halt in one piece without any of the passengers being injured.
The plane suffered serious damage and it isn’t known if it will ever fly again.
But this was not the only Mahan flight to go awry Saturday. Another plane on the same Mashhad-Tehran route that same day reported a technical failure shortly after takeoff from Mashhad. It turned around and landed safely at Mashhad.
The quality of maintenance performed on Iranian aircraft has often been questioned and is asserted by some to be behind most accidents in Iran.
On belly landings, Wiki-pedia said: “During a belly landing, there is normally extensive damage to the airplane. Belly landings carry the risk that the aircraft may flip over, disintegrate, or catch fire if it lands too fast or too hard. Extreme precision is needed to ensure that the plane lands as straight and level as possible while maintaining enough airspeed to maintain control. Strong crosswinds, low visibility, damage to the airplane, or unresponsive instruments or controls greatly increase the danger of performing a belly landing. Still, belly landings are one of the most common types of aircraft accidents, and are normally not fatal if executed carefully.”