United 737 MAX 9 Declares Emergency After Right Main Gear Fails to Deploy, Lands Safely at Houston With About 10 Minutes of Fuel Reported
Why It MattersA gear-extension fault on a three-month-old narrowbody shows how early-life mechanical issues can surface on thin leisure routes, where fuel margins on holding patterns leave little room.
United Airlines flight 1854, a Boeing 737 MAX 9 (registration N27474), declared an emergency on approach to Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) after its right main landing gear did not deploy. The flight had departed Grand Cayman (GCM) on Sunday, October 25 at 4:28 PM, 17 minutes ahead of its scheduled 4:45 PM departure, on a scheduled twice-weekly service with a usual flight time of about three hours.
The nonstop flight was otherwise uneventful until the descent into Houston, when the crew was unable to deploy the landing gear. In a recording of the communications shared on Instagram by theaviationcircle, the captain stated there were '90 souls onboard' and that the right main gear would not come down. Air traffic control arranged a low pass over Houston Intercontinental so the malfunction could be verified, and a passing aircraft confirmed the gear was not deployed. The crew also said the aircraft was low on fuel, with about ten to 12 minutes remaining, and requested that fire trucks and other emergency services meet the jet.
While the aircraft was in its final holding pattern, the right main gear deployed, allowing a safe landing at 8:24 PM with no injuries reported. First responders met the plane on the runway to confirm it was safe to taxi to the terminal. United confirmed 83 passengers and six crew were onboard and said the flight declared an emergency upon landing due to a mechanical indication, that the plane landed safely and taxied normally, and that passengers deplaned at the gate.
N27474 (MSN 67665, line number 9792) is powered by two CFM International LEAP-1B engines. It made its first test flight on August 5 and was delivered to United on August 26, so it has been in operation for roughly three months. It is configured with 20 United Business, 48 United Economy Plus and 111 United Economy seats.
