Soviet Jet Landing Eased by Passengers

When an Aeroflot jetliner’s nose landing gear failed to drop, the captain ordered all 92 passengers to crowd toward the tail section in hopes of a more stable landing, the news agency reported Sunday.

The TU-154 was flying from Moscow to the southern city of Ordzhonikidze last Monday when a red warning light indicated a landing gear malfunction, Tass said. In-flight maneuvers failed to shake the gear loose, and fuel was running low.

“All passengers were promptly transferred to the rear compartment so that the liner wouldn’t dive right after touchdown,” Tass said. “Going into reverse and engaging flaps, the crew landed the plane, its nose gradually lowering and scraping off myriads of sparks on its run until the craft finally came to a screeching halt.”