site.btaGovernment Airplane's Landing Gear Failure Caused by Faulty Locking Mechanism

Government Airplane's Landing Gear Failure Caused by Faulty Locking Mechanism

Sofia, September 1 (BTA) - The failure of the front landing gear of the government's Falcon airplane on Sunday was due to a faulty locking mechanism, engineers of the government's Air Squad 28 concluded after an investigation, the Transport Ministry reported on Tuesday.

The plane, carrying Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, had to make an emergency landing in the coastal city of Varna late on Sunday after the landing gear malfunctioned. A similar incident involving the same plane occurred back in February for a similar reason, again with Borissov on board.

The experts believe that Sunday's failure probably occurred while the plane was up in the air and the landing gear was being retracted. Air Squad 28 reported the incident to the manufacturer and the Swiss company servicing the plane. The Falcon will be repaired and put back into operation after necessary testing.

Transport Minister Ivaylo Moskovski will update the Prime Minister about the condition of the government plane. Experts will assess the technical and financial aspects of its use for government purposes, the Ministry said.