I just saw a video (apparently from 2005) where a JetBlue airplane had its frontwheels pretty much twisted 90°. So they were still out, just not spinning. In the video the plane landed safely, although there was quite a bit of smoke coming of the front wheel, I assume due to friction.
But what else could have happened? What would be a worst case scenario?
In: 10
The main danger is that the front landing gear would break – instead of forward momentum being transferred into the wheel which is rotating properly, that momentum is putting a lot more strain on not just the wheel, but the “arm” that connects it to the plane and everything else in the equasion. If that snaps, the plane would fall forward on its nose and the faster it’s moving, the more damage it would cause.
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