The airplane, which departed from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, notified the control tower at Istanbul Airport of a malfunction with its landing gear. The aircraft received assistance from the tower and successfully landed, as stated by the ministry. Although airport rescue and fire fighting teams were activated prior to landing, no injuries were reported. The ministry did not provide an explanation for the landing gear failure.
The specific aircraft involved is a nearly 10-year-old Boeing 767 freighter, a common cargo plane based on the 767 passenger model from the 1980s. FedEx mentioned it was collaborating with investigative authorities and pledged to share further details when available. Footage captured by Reuters depicted sparks and some smoke during the plane's front scrape along the runway.
The aircraft was eventually halted and covered in firefighting foam. While the affected runway was briefly closed, other runways at the airport continued to operate normally, according to the airport operator IGA. Once aircraft are in service, manufacturers are usually not directly involved in their operation or maintenance. However, Boeing has been closely monitored by the media and regulators due to a series of incidents involving its smaller 737 planes. As of now, the US aircraft manufacturer has not responded to requests for comments.