Update 10:30 pm ET: El Al Flight 27 landed safely at around 5:20am local time. There were reports of smoke on the left side, but photos showed that the left main landing gear appeared to have been deployed. No one was injured. There had been reports that the gear would not deploy and that the aircraft would have had to make a gear-up landing.
El Al Flight 27 from Tel Aviv to Newark has turned back to its origin after a landing gear malfunction. The Boeing 777-200ER is due to land at 5:15 am local time Monday, which is 10:15 pm ET.
Ambulances staged at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv to respond to El Al Flight 27. (Photo via YidReporter)
The left main landing gear of the widebody jet, carrying 280 passengers and crew, is reportedly stuck in the up position and the plane will be forced to make a gear up landing.
Israeli Air Force fighter jets have been dispatched to examine the plane in the air as it dumps fuel over the Mediterranean Sea.
Over 70 ambulances have staged at Ben Gurion International Airport. A major highway has been closed to allow the ambulances to easily reach hospitals if needed.
Video of emergency responders waiting for landing:
Developing…
