Crash investigators have released a photo that reveals the aftermath of a plane’s dramatic landing at East Midlands Airport. A set of wheels broke off the Boeing 737 moments after it touched down at the airport, near Derby, causing the cargo plane to skid along the runway for 380ft before coming to a stop. It happened as the plane delivered 10 tonnes of freight, including dangerous goods, on an Air Contractors flight that originated in Athens and included a stopover at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. The cargo planes left main landing gear detached due to heat damage to chrome plating, a report said . The plane’s 38-year-old captain and co-pilot escaped injury, and there were no passengers on board when the left main landing gear detached. The plane, manufactured in 1990, suffered significant damage to its left wing and engine as it slid along the runway in darkness on the morning of April 29, 2014, according to an Air Accidents Investigation Branch report. As the plane landed its speed was reduced and the co-pilot handed control to the captain, who pressed on the brakes twice to disengage the autobrake system. The touchdown was ‘unremarkable’ and the autobrake functioned normally, according to the report, but the left main landing gear came off when an inner cylinder, just above the axle, fractured as a result of heat damage to chrome plating. The report stated: ‘The aircraft shuddered and rolled slightly left-wing-low as the lower part of the main landing gear detached.’ It said that the source of the heat could not be determined. The report cited concerns about communications between air traffic control and other agencies . As the plane came to a stop its flight crew feared that it would burst into flames, with the co-pilot and the pilot of a different plane reporting smoke to air traffic control. The report stated: ‘The co-pilot saw some smoke drift past the aircraft as it came to a halt. The commander … had reached the conclusion that one of the main landing gear legs had failed, but as a result of the other pilot’s transmission, he was also concerned that the aircraft might be on fire.’ The captain shut down the engines and switched off the battery as firefighters attended the scene, but the plane did not catch fire. Firefighters placed a ladder against the door to allow the captain and co-pilot to disembark, and they sprayed foam around the landing gear and engine as a precaution. The report cited concerns about communications between air traffic control and other agencies, and said the airport operator issued a safety bulletin with a reminder of emergency protocols and procedures. The landing gear overhaul company carried out a review as a precaution, as it was not clear how or when the chrome plating damage occurred.
Boeing 737 cargo plane was carrying 10 tonnes of freight when it landed . Left main landing gear detached due to heat damage to chrome plating . Report said 'the aircraft shuddered and rolled slightly' to the left . Co-pilot and the captain of a different team reported smoke . Firefighters sprayed the landing gear and engine as a precaution .