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Nike plane has landing problems

Posted on: Monday, 21 November 2005, 14:40 CST

By Teresa Carson

PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - A Nike Inc. Gulfstream corporate jet with faulty landing gear was circling over Portland on Monday to burn off fuel before attempting a landing, aviation officials said.

William Perez, the sports shoe and apparel company's chief executive, was not on the flight, Nike said.

"Four Nike employees including three senior executives, as well as three crew members are aboard a Nike Gulfstream 5 corporate jet experiencing equipment difficulties this morning," the company said in a statement on its Web site.

The twin-engined Gulfstream V jet is a 19-passenger, high-end aircraft sold mainly to wealthy travelers and corporate executives.

The plane's right-wing landing gear was stuck in its bay, while the left-side gear and nose gear were extended.

"We think probably they'll be coming here to PDX," said Steve Johnson, referring to Portland International Airport's airport code.

John King, owner of flight instruction school King Schools, said that he can't remember anyone ever getting hurt with a landing gear problem.

"It's a well-designed and well-built plane," King said, "The risk level is very low and odds are very high that the pilot will be able to bring this jet to a complete stop in the middle of the runway."

In September, a JetBlue Airbus A320 airliner with 146 people aboard made an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport with a crippled nose gear. There were no serious injuries.

"We're ready. We have a well-trained fire and rescue team," Johnson said.

Earlier, an aviation official said that the jet was also likely to go to a nearby regional airport to try and jog the landing gear by making "touch-and-go" passes on the runway.

"They may try to go to Hillsboro airport to try and jar down the landing gear," said Allen Kenitzer, a spokesman with the Federal Aviation Administration. Hillsboro is near Beaverton, Oregon, a Portland suburb where Nike is headquartered.

"They have not decided where it will land," Kenitzer said.

Nike shares were down 1.6 percent at $86.31 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Source: REUTERS

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