Antalya-Based Amphibious Aircraft Lands at Hezarfen Due to Nose Gear Malfunction
An amphibious aircraft that took off from Antalya made an emergency landing at Hezarfen Airport after experiencing a nose landing gear failure while flying over the Sea of Marmara.
The incident began when the aircraft’s pilot contacted Air Traffic Control to report the situation. The pilot stated that a problem had been detected with the landing gear, adding, “If necessary, I can land on Lake Büyükçekmece.”
Firefighting and ARFF (Airport Rescue and Firefighting) teams were placed on standby as the aircraft circled over Atatürk Airport for a while. The plane landed safely at Hezarfen Airport at 12:30 without incident.
Radio Communications Recorded
During the incident, the exchanges between the pilot and the control tower were recorded as follows:
- Pilot: Sir, if possible, I’d like to divert to Hezarfen. I am detecting an issue with the landing gear on the monitor. If necessary, I can land on Lake Büyükçekmece.
- Tower: Understood, sir. You are cleared from the 05 runway threshold in the south-north direction. I will coordinate with approach as well. What is your estimated time of landing at Hezarfen?
- Pilot: 1500 feet, estimated 10 minutes.
- Tower: Is this an emergency at the moment?
- Pilot: No, sir. I cannot monitor the nose landing gear; there may be a connection issue. If necessary, I can land on Lake Büyükçekmece. I would like to divert to Hezarfen.
About Hezarfen Airport
Hezarfen Airport is located on a 500-decare area north of Lake Büyükçekmece, within Istanbul’s Arnavutköy district on the European side. Opened in 1992 as Turkey’s first private airport, the facility is named after Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi, one of the pioneers of Turkish aviation.
