NEW DELHI_Two state-run Air India flights made emergency landings in the Indian capital on Monday following landing gear problems, but all passengers were safe, the airline said.
However, the nose gear of one of the planes failed while it was being taxied off the runway, forcing all 183 people on board to disembark using a step ladder, according to a statement.
Mukesh Jadav, a passenger on the Airbus A-310 aircraft, told the Press Trust of India news agency the experience was scary.
"The aircraft had descended and we saw the runway, but suddenly it took off and the pilot announced there was problem in opening the landing gear and everybody panicked," it quoted him as saying.
The plane circled New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport for nearly an hour before landing without incident, said an official on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.
"However, when the aircraft was being towed away from the runway to a remote bay for repair through a taxi track, the nose gear capsized as a result of which further operations were affected," the statement said.
The aircraft got bogged down in the soft earth around the runway, the official said, adding flights at the airport were disrupted for nearly three hours.
Later Monday, an Air India 767 Boeing flight coming from Dubai also faced a landing gear problem and made an emergency landing with 65 passengers on board, the official said.
There were no injuries to the passengers, the official said.
He had no details on the nature of the problem with the landing gear.
