• Azul Tile
    Azul
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    AD/AZU
    Airline Type:
    Low-Cost Carrier
    Hub(s):
    Belo Horizonte International Airport, Sao Paulo Viracopos International Airport, Recife/Guararapes International Airport
    Year Founded:
    2008
    CEO:
    John Rodgerson
    Country:
    Brazil
    Region:
    South America

On Friday, an Azul Embraer E195 had to return to the Recife International Airport (REC) after departing following the discovery by the crew that the landing gear was malfunctioning.

What happened?

Yesterday, Azul was operating flight AD4090 between Recife and Fernando de Noronha Airport (FEN). The Brazilian airline deployed an Embraer E195, registration PR-AXP, to serve this route which has three daily flights, according to data provided by Cirium.

The flight departed at 18:11 UTC from Recife but quickly encountered a problem. According to local media outlet reports, the pilots reported to the air traffic controllers they had a problem with the landing gear of the jetliner.

Following the problem, the pilots requested to fly low over the runway of Recife in order to have a visual inspection. It was found that the landing gear was not fully aligned, therefore causing issues to the aircraft and adding an extra layer of difficulty if the crew had to do an emergency landing.

Tackling the problem

After finding out what the problem was, Azul’s crew began flying around Recife, burning fuel and trying to solve the landing gear problem.

At around 19:19 UTC, the crew flew low over the runway of Recife for a second time, as can be seen in the records by FlightRadar24.com. They requested a second visual inspection to see if the landing gear problem was solved.

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After that, the crew flew around Recife for an extra half an hour before landing safely at Recife. There were no injuries related to the incident.

Following the incident, Azul released a statement on the subject,

"Azul clarifies that, due to technical problems, the aircraft that fulfilled flight AD4090 (Recife-Fernando de Noronha) this Friday (6) needed to return to the airport of origin. The company stresses that the landing and disembarkation occurred normally and safely. Customers will be accommodated on other flights of the company itself. Azul regrets any inconvenience caused, emphasizes that it provides all necessary assistance as provided in the resolution 400 of ANAC, and reinforces that actions like this are necessary to ensure the safety of its operations."

Last week, another Azul Embraer E190 was involved in an incident in Brazil. A GOL Boeing 737-800 collided with the Embraer while taxiing at Viracopos.

Lukas Souza 04-20-22 Hangar VCP -126
Azul has several Embraer E195 aircraft in its fleet. Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying.

The aircraft

PR-AXP is an Embraer ERJ 190-200AR. It was first delivered to Azul on February 26, 2013, according to data provided by ch-aviation. It has CF34-10E engines built by General Electric.

The aircraft has a capacity for 118 passengers. Azul deploys them in a two-class cabin with 100 economy seats and 18 economy plus.

The leasing company GECAS owns the aircraft, leased to Azul until the end of 2024. Its current value is approximately US$15.2 million. Following the incident, the aircraft has been grounded by the airline.

Azul is currently in the process of renewing its fleet by acquiring new Embraer E2 planes. The Brazilian airline is one of Embraer’s most critical clients for the E2 family. The older E1 jet family is being retired from the company or repurposed as freighter-only aircraft.

What do you think of this incident? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Aeroin, FlightRadar24.com, ch-aviation.