Flight UA2323 from Chicago safely evacuated on the taxiway after gusty 54-mph winds contributed to a hard landing.
ORLANDO, FL – Travelers at Orlando International Airport (MCO) witnessed a harrowing scene on Sunday afternoon when a United Airlines flight suffered a mechanical failure during a “wild” landing, resulting in a nose wheel detaching and rolling down the runway.
United Flight UA2323, an Airbus A321neo arriving from Chicago O’Hare, was touching down around 12:30 p.m. local time when the incident occurred. According to eyewitness accounts and viral video footage captured from a nearby aircraft, the plane appeared to encounter difficult conditions upon descent.
As the aircraft made contact with the tarmac, it reportedly “wagged” and bounced violently. During the high-impact sequence, one of the two wheels on the nose landing gear sheared off completely. The stray wheel was seen rolling away to the right of the aircraft as the pilots fought to bring the plane to a safe stop on the runway.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and airport authorities immediately issued a ground stop for all arrivals and departures at MCO. The measure was taken to allow emergency crews to secure the scene and clear the runway of debris.
“The aircraft landed under considerably adverse weather conditions,” noted one aviation report, citing wind gusts of up to 54 mph in the Orlando area at the time of the incident.
United Airlines confirmed that there were 200 passengers and six crew members on board. Despite the frightening nature of the landing, no injuries were reported. Passengers were not able to deplane at the gate; instead, they were evacuated directly onto the taxiway and transported to the terminal via shuttles.
The aircraft involved, a relatively new Airbus A321neo (registrationN14502), has been removed from service for a thorough maintenance review. Investigators are now looking into whether the failure was caused by the sheer force of the “hard landing,” the gusty wind conditions, or a potential mechanical fatigue issue.
The ground stop caused a ripple effect of delays throughout the afternoon at one of Florida’s busiest travel hubs, though operations began returning to normal later that evening. United Airlines issued a statement thanking the crew for their professionalism and confirming that they are cooperating fully with the FAA investigation.
