Passengers aboard a SunExpress flight at Turkey’s Antalya Airport endured moments of fear and confusion on February 13 when the aircraft’s left main landing gear failed during taxi, causing the Boeing 737 to lurch onto its side and come to rest with its engine scraping the tarmac. Although no one was injured, the dramatic incident has raised fresh questions about aircraft maintenance, structural fatigue, and safety oversight in one of Europe’s busiest leisure hubs.

Taxi Turned Terror: How the Incident Unfolded

SunExpress flight XQ7646 was preparing to depart from Antalya for Gaziantep on the afternoon of February 13, with 175 passengers and six crew members on board. According to aviation incident reports and local coverage, the Boeing 737-800, registered TC-SOB, was taxiing toward its assigned runway when the left main landing gear suddenly failed. Witnesses described a sharp jolt followed by a pronounced tilt to the left as the aircraft’s weight shifted violently.

Investigators and aviation specialists say the aircraft was on the taxiway, not yet lined up for takeoff, when the gear strut gave way. As the assembly collapsed, part of the left main gear structure appears to have driven upward into the wing area, while the fuselage rolled enough for the left engine nacelle to contact and scrape along the concrete. Images from the scene show the jet resting at an alarming angle, with the compromised wing and engine bearing the brunt of the damage.

Inside the cabin, passengers who had just fastened their seatbelts for departure reportedly felt what some described as a “crash without movement” as the aircraft shuddered and listed abruptly. Overhead bins rattled and loose items shifted, but the cabin remained structurally intact. The cockpit crew brought the aircraft to a halt while air traffic control and airport emergency services were alerted to the unfolding emergency on the taxiway.

Evacuation Amid Anxiety, But No Reported Injuries

Airport rescue and firefighting teams, already on standby during normal operations, rushed to the stricken aircraft within minutes. While there was no sign of fire, fuel leak or smoke, the severe structural damage to the gear and wing prompted authorities to treat the situation as a serious incident. Ground teams positioned mobile stairs beside the aircraft to enable a controlled evacuation rather than using emergency slides.

Passengers were led off the aircraft in stages, many visibly shaken by the sudden end to what was expected to be a routine domestic flight. Social media posts and eyewitness accounts from the airport terminal speak of children crying, adults clutching bags and travel documents, and a general sense of disbelief as travelers stepped down and saw the crippled jet resting on its left engine. For many, the sight underscored just how narrowly a far worse outcome had been avoided.

SunExpress has confirmed that all 175 passengers and six crew members were safely disembarked and that no injuries were reported. Medical staff remained on hand to check anyone feeling unwell, particularly those suffering from shock or anxiety. Some passengers were escorted to the terminal to receive refreshments and assistance with rebooking, while others waited for clarification on the status of the replacement flight to Gaziantep.

Official Response: A “Technical Malfunction” Under Scrutiny

In an initial statement, SunExpress described the event as a “technical malfunction involving the landing gear strut” that occurred during taxi at Antalya Airport. The airline stressed that safety remained its top priority and noted that the aircraft was immediately taken out of service for detailed technical inspection. The scheduled flight to Gaziantep was eventually operated by another Boeing 737 after a delay of several hours.

Turkey’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation has launched a formal investigation into the incident, focusing on the reasons behind the sudden collapse of the left main landing gear. Investigators are expected to examine the landing gear components, the attachment points within the wing structure, hydraulic systems and any relevant sensors, along with the aircraft’s complete maintenance history. The inquiry will seek to establish whether the failure was the result of metal fatigue, manufacturing issues, or maintenance-related shortcomings.

Regulators will also look at the aircraft’s operational profile in the days and weeks leading up to the event, including cycles, landings and any reported anomalies. Early accounts indicate that the 10-year-old Boeing 737-800 had flown into Antalya from Diyarbakir earlier the same day, apparently without incident. That detail has prompted technical analysts to question whether the gear was already compromised on arrival or if the catastrophic failure developed between flights.

A Rare and Alarming Type of Structural Failure

Landing gear issues are not unheard of in commercial aviation, but a main gear collapse during low-speed taxi remains a rare and serious type of failure. Industry watchers note that the stresses on landing gear are typically greatest during landing and takeoff. A collapse while taxiing, when speeds and loads are lower, may indicate an already weakened or critically damaged structure.

Preliminary technical commentary from aviation engineers and mechanics points to the possibility of a failure in the trunnion or strut assembly that supports the gear. Some experienced observers have suggested that the upward penetration of gear components into the wing suggests a catastrophic structural break at or near the gear attachment point. Such damage is often associated with extreme overload, material fatigue, or an undetected crack that has propagated over time.

Investigators will carefully review any recent maintenance performed on the landing gear, particularly work involving pins, bushings or structural fittings. In recent years, there have been a handful of incidents globally involving landing gear issues on Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft, prompting operators and regulators to pay closer attention to inspection protocols. While it is far too early to draw parallels or conclusions, the Antalya event will almost certainly feed into the wider body of safety data on landing gear integrity across the fleet.

Passengers Speak of Fear, Confusion and Growing Anxiety

For those on board flight XQ7646, the technical details of trunnion pins and strut assemblies were far from mind as the aircraft lurched and came to rest at an unnatural angle. Passengers have described a wave of fear sweeping through the cabin as seat rows tilted and windows suddenly framed the ground at a steep slant. Some reported briefly believing that the aircraft had collided with another vehicle or obstacle on the taxiway.

Accounts emerging from Antalya suggest that crew members moved swiftly to keep passengers calm, making announcements, checking on those seated near the affected wing and coordinating with ground teams for an orderly deplaning. Even so, travelers spoke later of racing hearts, trembling hands and an intense sense of vulnerability as they stepped down and saw the aircraft’s engine resting almost on the pavement.

Many of the passengers were families and holidaymakers, as Antalya is one of Turkey’s primary gateways for beach tourism and domestic travel connections. Several said they were torn between relief that the incident happened on the ground rather than during takeoff or landing, and distress at the idea that such a major mechanical failure could occur during what is normally one of the safest phases of flight. For some, the experience may linger in the form of heightened anxiety about future air travel.

Operational Disruption at a Busy Mediterranean Hub

Antalya Airport, among Turkey’s busiest airports and a key entry point to the country’s southern Mediterranean coast, faced immediate operational challenges in the wake of the incident. The disabled aircraft came to rest on a taxiway, partially blocking ground traffic and requiring a coordinated response from airport operations, ground handling teams and technical services to clear the area.

Authorities temporarily rerouted taxiway flows and adjusted runway usage while engineers assessed how to safely lift and remove the stricken Boeing 737. Recovery operations in such cases are delicate, as any attempt to move the aircraft without full stabilization can exacerbate structural damage or pose risks to ground personnel. Heavy lifting equipment and specialized dollies are often brought in to support the compromised gear and fuselage.

While the disruption to overall airport traffic was contained, some flights experienced minor delays as ground controllers reshuffled movements to ensure safe spacing around the incident site. Antalya’s status as a major holiday gateway meant that airlines and airport staff also had to manage large numbers of connecting passengers, some of whom were unsettled by images and reports circulating from the taxiway scene.

SunExpress, Fleet Safety and Public Perception

SunExpress, a joint venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, operates a mixed fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft that serve both domestic Turkish routes and international leisure destinations. The carrier has emphasized that the aircraft involved in the Antalya incident is a 737-800 Next Generation variant, not the newer 737 MAX model, which has been the focus of separate safety debates in recent years.

Industry analysts note that SunExpress has generally maintained a solid safety record, with no fatal accidents in its three-decade history. Nonetheless, any dramatic structural failure involving a popular aircraft type inevitably affects public perception. Images of a modern jet resting on its engine, with a collapsed landing gear visible, risk fueling broader unease about aircraft reliability, particularly among infrequent travelers.

The airline has pledged full cooperation with investigators and is expected to implement any safety recommendations that emerge from the official inquiry. This could include more frequent inspections of landing gear components, targeted checks of similar aircraft in its fleet, or participation in broader manufacturer and regulator initiatives aimed at monitoring potential fatigue issues. In the meantime, SunExpress will be under pressure to communicate proactively with passengers and reassure them that the incident represents an exceptional and highly unusual event.

The Antalya incident comes against a backdrop of heightened public sensitivity to landing gear and taxi-related events. In the past year, several high-profile episodes worldwide have involved smoke, overheating brakes or gear anomalies shortly after landing or during ground operations. While the technical roots of those cases vary, collectively they have brought fresh attention to the stresses placed on landing gear systems during heavy use at busy airports.

Aviation safety experts are quick to point out that air travel remains one of the safest modes of transportation, with robust layers of inspection, redundancy and regulatory oversight. They emphasize that the collapse of a main landing gear leg during taxi is not a common occurrence, and that the absence of injuries in Antalya speaks to both the structural resilience of the airframe and the professionalism of the crew and emergency responders.

Yet images of bent struts, crumpled wings and scarred engine nacelles resonate strongly with the traveling public. For many passengers, the incident at Antalya will be interpreted less through accident statistics and more through an emotional lens: a vivid reminder that even routine flights can present sudden, frightening surprises. How airlines, regulators and manufacturers respond in the coming weeks will be crucial to maintaining confidence in the aircraft and systems that carry millions of people every day.