LOT Boeing 767 emergency landing in Warsaw marks 15th anniversary

The 15th anniversary of the emergency landing of a LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 767 at Warsaw Chopin Airport is being observed. On November 1, 2011, flight LO016 from Newark to Warsaw experienced a central hydraulic system failure approximately 30 minutes after takeoff.

Captain Tadeusz Wrona and First Officer Jerzy Szwarc managed the aircraft as it circled Warsaw for approximately one hour to burn off fuel. During the attempt to deploy the landing gear using the emergency system, only the flaps were extended. Two F-16 fighter jets from the Łask airbase were scrambled to escort the aircraft and confirm the gear status.

The aircraft, named “Poznań,” landed on runway 33 using its fuselage and engine nacelles to slide along the concrete, which had been covered in fire-extinguishing foam. All 231 people on board, including 220 passengers and 11 crew members, evacuated safely. A final report by the State Commission on Aircraft Accidents Investigation attributed the failure to a damaged hydraulic line near the right landing gear.