Antalya, Turkey: A Boeing 737-800 passenger jet operated by Turkish leisure airline SunExpress experienced a significant landing gear failure while taxiing for departure from Antalya Airport on Friday afternoon, authorities and the airline confirmed.
The aircraft, registration TC-SOB, was operating as Flight XQ7646 from Antalya to Gaziantep when the left-hand main landing gear unexpectedly collapsed on the taxiway shortly before it was scheduled to depart. The failure caused the aircraft to come to rest on its left engine, rendering the aircraft inoperable.
According to official reports, 175 passengers and 6 crew members were on board at the time of the incident. Airport rescue and firefighting teams rapidly responded, and all occupants were evacuated safely via stairs without any reported injuries. Normal safety procedures were followed throughout the disembarkation.
SunExpress issued a statement describing the event as the result of a “technical issue involving the landing-gear strut” during taxiing, emphasising that passenger and crew safety remains the airline’s top priority. The carrier confirmed that the aircraft was removed from service pending technical inspection. A replacement Boeing 737-800 completed the Antalya-Gaziantep service after a delay of approximately four to five hours.
The incident triggered brief disruption at the airport, with emergency services securing the area while flight operations continued. Passengers were transferred to alternate aircraft after being evacuated.
Visual and technical accounts from the scene show substantial damage to the aircraft’s left landing gear assembly. Preliminary assessments suggest the gear either bent or failed, causing the aircraft to settle onto its left engine cowling. Turkish aviation authorities have launched an investigation to determine the root cause.
SunExpress, a joint venture between Turkish Airlines and the Lufthansa Group, operates a fleet predominantly composed of Boeing 737-800s. The involved aircraft, TC-SOB, was delivered to the airline in 2016 and had completed regular flights earlier in the day, including a scheduled arrival from Diyarbakir.
Landing gear collapses during taxiing are relatively rare in commercial aviation, as gear systems are engineered with multiple redundancies and safety interlocks to prevent uncommanded retraction or structural failure while on the ground. The ongoing technical inspection and official investigation will focus on maintenance records, gear assembly integrity, and potential mechanical faults.
