Nice, France: A Luxair regional aircraft was forced to perform an emergency landing at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport on Thursday, January 22, after the crew received a warning of a potential landing gear malfunction, the airline and aviation authorities confirmed.
Flight LG8255, operated by a De Havilland Dash 8-400 turboprop registered LX-LQA, departed Luxembourg Findel Airport at approximately 13:17 local time en route to Nice with 74 passengers and crew onboard.
According to initial reports, the flight crew received an “unsafe indication” for the right main landing gear during the approach to Nice. Following standard safety protocols, the aircraft aborted its first landing attempt and entered a holding pattern over the Mediterranean Sea to troubleshoot the issue.
As a precautionary measure, the crew shut down the right-hand engine and prepared the cabin for an emergency landing, instructing passengers to assume the brace position.
After approximately 75 minutes in the air, the aircraft returned to Nice and completed a safe landing on runway 04L, coming to a stop on the runway surface. The aircraft was unable to taxi under its own power and remained on the runway while emergency services attended.
All 74 passengers and crew disembarked safely and were transported by bus to the terminal. Local airport authorities confirmed that no injuries were reported. Fire and rescue units had been pre-positioned on the runway as part of routine emergency response procedures.
In response to the incident, air traffic at Nice was temporarily suspended, resulting in brief disruptions to scheduled arrivals and departures.
Luxair CEO Gilles Feith described the situation as “an enormously stressful event” but praised the professionalism of the flight crew and passengers in managing the emergency. He attributed the issue to a faulty landing gear sensor, noting that after landing the indication returned to normal.
“The sensor showed an unsafe indication, although the landing gear was later confirmed as locked,” Feith said in an interview. The airline has dispatched maintenance personnel and auditors to Nice to conduct a full technical investigation into the cause of the warning and ensure compliance with safety regulations.
