The Harrowing Moment a Plane's Landing Gear Fails While Arriving at LAX, Sending Sparks Flying

A potentially disastrous moment was averted in Los Angeles on Monday morning when a regional jet's landing gear failed while arriving at LAX, forcing it to land partially on its belly and wing sending sparks flying.

KTTV-TV caught the jet landing and the harrowing seconds that ensued (fast forward to the three-minute mark):

Los Angeles News | FOX 11 LA KTTV

The plane, SkyWest Airlines Flight 5316, was carrying 43 people, but no one was reported injured.

The plane's left main landing gear failed to extend as the Bombardier CRJ100 arrived from Monterey, California, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said. Smoke and sparks could be seen coming from the left side of the aircraft as its wing dragged along the runway and skidded to a stop.

Emergency responders checked the 40 passengers and three crew members as they left the plane on a staircase and filed into buses, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Erik Scott said.

There was no fire, Scott said. But airport delays were expected as the plane got cleared from the runway.

Mechanics will inspect the aircraft to determine what may have caused the problem, SkyWest spokeswoman Marissa Snow said.

The plane, operating as United Express, took off from Monterey around 7:15 a.m.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.