UPDATE 2 - FedEx cargo plane lands on its nose at Istanbul Airport after landing gear fails

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT BY ISTANBUL AIRPORT OPERATOR IGA

By Gokhan Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - A FedEx cargo plane Wednesday landed on its nose at Istanbul Airport due to a malfunctioning landing gear.

FedEx Airlines' Boeing 767 cargo plane, operating the Paris-Istanbul route, requested emergency landing permission from the Istanbul Airport control tower after its nose landing gear failed to deploy.

The airport took necessary measures for landing, and the Airport Rescue and Firefighting Service teams were dispatched to the runway.

The cabin crew safely evacuated the plane without any injuries.

The plane landed on Runway 16R at Istanbul Airport, which is currently closed to flights.

Efforts were underway to tow the plane off the runway, while investigations into the accident continue.

"Istanbul Airport is one of the most comprehensive and qualified airports in the world. So, a disruption on any runway does not affect flights. Flights continue," said Istanbul Governor Davut Gul.

According to Istanbul Airport operator IGA, a Boeing 767 type cargo plane with flight number FX6238 coming from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport made a successful landing under the guidance of the air traffic control tower without the front landing gear being deployed due to a technical reason.

"The situation was effectively managed before the planned fuselage landing, thanks to the swift action of ARFF (Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting) teams stationed on the runway, ensuring no casualties occurred.

"Following the incident, only runway 16R was temporarily closed to air traffic. ARFF teams are currently working to relocate the aircraft to a secure area and resume flight operations on the runway. Meanwhile, all other runways, including backup ones, are operating without disruptions," said IGA.

*Writing by Gizem Nisa Cebi