American Airlines Pilots Forget to Lower Landing Gear on Final Approach to Phoenix

Passengers and plane spotters alike witnessed a tense moment on September 18 when an American Airlines Airbus A319 appeared to approach Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport without its landing gear deployed. Flight AA-2822, carrying up to 132 passengers from Austin, Texas, was lined up for final approach when ThePlaneSpotter on YouTube captured footage of the aircraft seemingly gliding in “gear up”—a highly unusual sight at such a late stage of flight.

By the time an aircraft is on final approach, the landing gear would normally be extended as part of a tightly scripted checklist. In this instance, however, the pilots only began lowering the gear seconds before the aircraft reached the runway threshold. Aviation experts believe the crew was alerted by a cockpit warning system specifically designed to prevent landing without gear deployed.

Within moments, the crew abandoned the approach and executed a go-around, a standard safety maneuver to give pilots time to reconfigure the aircraft and reattempt the landing. In communications with air traffic control, the pilots diplomatically explained that the aircraft was “not configured in the appropriate manner,” without mentioning the gear incident directly.

American Airlines later confirmed that the flight landed safely on its second attempt with no injuries reported. The episode underscores how go-arounds, while potentially unsettling for passengers, are an essential and routine safety measure rather than a sign of panic. “It’s far better to execute a go-around than to try to salvage a landing when something isn’t right,” one airline safety analyst told USA TODAY.

Despite multiple checklists and cross-checks, configuration errors can still occur—although serious incidents are rare. Airbus A320-family aircraft like the A319 are fitted with a series of warning systems designed to alert pilots to configuration issues such as flaps, spoilers, and landing gear. Still, those warnings are only effective if acted upon quickly.

The American Airlines incident echoes a much more tragic event in May 2020, when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320 crashed into a residential neighborhood near Karachi Airport, killing 97 people. Investigators determined that the pilots had also forgotten to lower the landing gear on their first landing attempt because they were distracted by unrelated cockpit conversation about the COVID-19 pandemic. When the engines scraped the runway, the crew performed a go-around, but both engines failed shortly thereafter due to the damage sustained, leading to the crash.

The PIA disaster led to intense regulatory scrutiny, including revelations that some of the airline’s flight crew held fraudulent licenses. That crash remains a stark reminder of why cockpit discipline and adherence to checklists are crucial.

For passengers, however, go-arounds can be nerve-racking. “One moment you’re preparing for the plane to touch the tarmac, and the next you hear the roar of the engines as the plane suddenly lurches upward,” writes Matt, a flight attendant and aviation blogger. He notes that pilots are often too busy communicating with air traffic control and running safety procedures to give immediate updates to passengers in the minutes following a go-around.

“Hold tight, breathe, and remember,” Matt advises, “a go-around isn’t just normal—it’s also a sign that safety systems are working exactly as intended.”

While American Airlines has not publicly commented on the specific cause of the gear oversight, the incident highlights the importance of redundant warning systems and pilot training. For travelers, it’s also a reminder that unexpected maneuvers like go-arounds are not necessarily cause for alarm—they are an essential part of aviation safety culture, ensuring that when something isn’t right, crews always have a second chance to land safely.


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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, paddleyourownkanoo.com, usatoday.com