American Airlines Jet Approaches Phoenix Without Landing Gear Down—Pilot Explains What Happened

Video from a Phoenix airport livestream shows an American Airlines A319 registration selecting its gear late on short final – the video poster asserts the pilot simply forgot to do it – and having to execute a missed approach. The tower cancels a simultaneous departure and the crew climbs out. The pilot later stated the aircraft was not properly configured.

The flight was AA2822 from Austin to Phoenix on September 17. The pilot summarized the cause with characteristic economy: “wasn’t configured in [an] appropriate manner.”

The missed approach briefly rippled through runway 25R operations: with American flight 2341 cleared for takeoff, their clearance was cancelled and they were held in position while issuing go‑around instructions to AA2822—runway heading, climb to 6,000 ft, then a left turn to 220°.

The landing gear and flaps need to be set by 1,000 ft AGL (IMC) or 500 ft (VMC); if not, a go‑around is mandatory.

• When pilots say “stable by 1,000 ft in IMC / 500 ft in VMC,” they mean that by that height above the runway, everything for landing must already be set:on the right path, right speed, descent under control, gear down, landing flaps set, checklists done.

  
  

• AGL is ‘Above Ground Level’ or the height relative to the airport.

  
  

• IMC vs VMC is Instrument (in/near cloud, poor visibility) vs Visual conditions, and they need to be higher in instrument conditions to buy margin when you can’t rely on outside visuals.

A plane should be on the correct path, at target approach speed, and at a reasonable descent rate – with landing configuration set and briefings and landing checklist complete.

If the cockpit heard the “TOO LOW GEAR” callout, that is a designed guardrail to prompt the go-around decision, which happens with around 1 to 3 out of 1,000 approaches.

This article was originally published by View from the Wing.